


Ekali of the Frozen Heights: Book One

by Saquira



Series: Ekali of the Frozen Heights [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Asexuality, Bleak Falls Barrow, Breezehome, Bruma, Cyrodiil, Dragonsreach, F/M, Gen, Helgen, High Hrothgar, Ivarstead, Kynesgrove, Riverwood, Solitude, Stormcloaks, Tamriel, Thalmor, The Sleeping Giant Inn, Throat of the World, Ustengrav, Vampires, Whiterun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 04:18:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 39
Words: 61,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4333584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saquira/pseuds/Saquira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a legionnaire is accused of murder and shipped off to Skyrim events are set in motion that will change Tamriel forever.<br/>Ekali never wanted to be a hero. But when push comes to shove, how do you say no?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is also being posted to the chorrol.com forums and my blog scitasystory.wordpress.com. it's also been posted to fanfiction.net up to and including chapter 7.1. I won't however be posting it to fanfiction.net any longer as I've grown tired of the posting format there. I started writing this before Skyrim came out, but am only now posting it to AO3. 
> 
> If there's any information or characters you don't recognise from the games that's because I've made it up.

**Prologue**

The female threw herself across the cold stone just as fire lit the sky, melting the snow of her former location. The beast roared out his rage as he turned after the khajiit, pale fangs still hot from the fire. She thought up the words when its jaws clamped shut above her, forcing Ekali to roll out of the way as it brought its head down again.

" _Fo Krah!_ " The shout was loud, and covered the beast in frost as he lifted his muzzle towards the sky in rage. He flapped his wings, unleashing more fire in her direction, and took to the air.

Getting up from her crouch, the khajiit sprinted across the ice crusted stone, coming to a stop at her pack from which she drew a bow and quiver. The bow was already strung in anticipation for an event just like this, and she put an arrow to it just as the beast came around for another go. Her hands wouldn't be still as she aimed for the creature, and it was by chance that the arrow stuck in its throat. She sprinted again as he roared in fury, black eyes intent on her body.

" _Dovahkiin! Zun Haal Viik!"_ His powerful voice was triumphant as the bow flew out of the woman's grasp, and she cursed, barely avoiding the swipe from his tail when he flew past. As it was the blast of wind knocked her of her feet, and she pictured a fireball in her mind as she got up again. The dragon was wrapped in flames mere moments before his feet connected with her shoulders and threw her backwards.

Her feline claws where out before she had time to process the empty space beneath her feet, clinging like picks to the ice encrusting the rocky mountain. The stone shuddered as the dragon landed and made his way towards the precipice on which she was hanging.

" _Dovahkiin._ " The beast smiled at her as he lowered his head, looking over her white body.

The tension on her claws was causing a numbness in her hands when she hung there, and the khajiit grunted when she tried to get a better grip on the cliff side as well as getting her legs up. She'd be damned if she didn't get up, she knew that all to well.

"Trouble, _Dovahkiin_? Perhaps you should have practised your claws before coming, they often make a lot of difference." He smiled again as he reached one of his feet out, extending a claw. He looked at it briefly before turning back at her. "How is it you say... oh yes, any last words?" Ekali kept quiet and he smiled again, edging further out on the edge to get to her.

The light of the blue green aurora reflected on his scales when he got closer, making him look even more majestic than before. His head had the shape of an arrowhead with spikes that were angled backwards from his face. His eyes were dark, and the scales had a soft brown colour to them.

She narrowed her eyes at the dragon as she tried to get a better grip on the ice, and clung tighter when the wind picked up, tousling her fur. The ice was mixed with snow, and her hands were barely noticeable because she didn't wear any gauntlets at the time.

The beast crept closer still, and put his foot on her paw to be able to break her grip. With a last smile that caused the blue light to be reflected by his teeth, he tore her away from the cliff, and opened his mouth to shout.

" _Fus Ro Dah!_ " The shout threw her further away from the ledge, away from any hope of survival, and caused her to yell out in shock.

 _Oh hellfire_ , was the one thought that went through her head as she looked down at the ground far beneath her, the wind wining past her ears.


	2. 1.1 Bloody White Sights

The star-covered sky gazed down upon the mountains in the chilly night, making sure that every creature slept, and that no animal had left the side of their mate. The trees together with the rocks covered the fire from watching eyes, all but two pairs who looked down on the watchman who'd been placed to make sure that no one crept close to the sleeping bandits.

The soft twang of the bow and the noise as the arrow pierced the watchman's throat, pinning him dead to the tree, went unnoticed by the people sleeping in the bedrolls. Thus allowing the owners of the two couple of eyes to creep unseen into the light of the fire.

She was the first one into the light, her bow now secured on her back and her dagger in hand. With her yellow khajiit eyes she looked back at the gray wolf following after her. He looked back at at the woman, and with an understanding that only they shared, each of them approached a sleeping bandit.

Simply pausing to note that the man was a nord, she slit his throat as quietly as possible, while the wolf used his claws for the same purpose on another man. In this manner they continued until the last four sleeping bandits were dead, but she still waited for a while before standing up straight, and giving a smile to her companion.

"Say Gladio, you don't think these might have been the people we were looking for?" she asked the wolf and turned from him to search the pockets of the man she'd just killed. He answered with two quick barks, and a faint smile appeared on the khajiits' lips.

"Why I think you're right, just look at what I found in this ones pocket," She held the black amulet she'd found up into the air for Gladio to see, and he gave her an expression that could only be interpreted as a smug smile. Then she looked around the little clearing, and grabbed a couple of sacks lying by the fire. Beneath the ancient pines she then stopped to kneel by each bandit to remove their equipment and stuff it in the bags.

Most of their armour lay on the ground next to them, but it still was tedious work, and when Ekali went to recover the one arrow she had used, she was forced to break the shaft to have any chance of getting it out of the watchman. He slumped to the hard ground. The ground on the side of the mountain was tundra, the ice mixed with earth so frozen it did not even soften during summer. The Jerall Mountains never did attract much warmth though.

She undressed the dead man and put his fur armour in the sacks as well, then the female took him under his arms and dumped him in a pile with his companions. She used snow to extinguish the fire, and when she picked up the now filled sacks she sunk a couple inches into the snow from the weight.

"Come on boy, we gotta get going," Ekali said, and with the wolf at her heels she began the trek into the forest again. Her eyes glanced up into the sky after a little while, noting the storm clouds coming further towards the mountains for every hour and she shivered, though not from the cold.

:-:-:-:-:

It was the thunder and the hard, cold wind that first told of the coming of the snowstorm. Gladio barked unhappily, and the woman whom was having a hard time staying on her feet looked around for a deep enough pile of snow. She bent down by a tree, and set to dig a hole with her hands. Understanding her intention, Gladio barked and came forth to help. She backed away, giving the wolf room to dig.

It didn't take very long with Gladios' help, but when the khajiit crawled into the shelter after him the storm had picked up it's pace and snow whirled past outside. There was so much of it you couldn't see your hand if you held it out in front of you, and the cold would have been excruciating for most people.

The cave of snow was barely big enough to sit in, and she took her bedroll from where she'd fastened it on her back, blocking the entrance with the sacks. Ekali then put the bedroll in the bottom of the cave, and laid down on it to wait out the storm. Accustomed to the situation, Gladio crouched down besides her, and she put her arms around him so that they could provide each other with warmth. After that, there wasn't much to do, and a silence soon fell upon the the snow cave.


	3. 1.2 Cold Blue Skies

The sky was clear above the buzzing city, the kind of blue that you only ever see after a snowstorm, and because of it the air was even colder that usual. Ekali nodded to the guard on duty, and upon seeing the legions' mark on her shoulder, he let her through to the city itself.

It was a big city, though she'd been told it'd long ago been both larger and better kept. The southern part of the city, the area now on her left, was the huge slums where the largest part of the population lived. It was named the old quarter, because that's the part of the city which have barely changed since the Oblivion crisis. Old and run-down hovels dominated the old quarter, and of those with any money, only fools went there at any time of the day.

Even in the rest of the city it wasn't uncommon to see the foundation of a house which no one had ever bothered reconstructing. The merchants quarter was the one closest to where the khajiit stood at the present moment. That's where you went to have your things repaired or to buy new ones. Next to the gate through which she'd come there was a small tavern, the cheapest in town. Only travellers ever lived there.

From where she stood Ekali could see the chapel standing in the middle of the city. It towered over all buildings but the castle, to bad then that no one had ever bothered repairing it. Broken glass and dirty stones, even the priests only ever wore ragged robes. She wondered sometimes how the town looked 200 years ago, before the beginning of the Oblivion crisis and the end of the third era, but she still was happy that she came to Bruma. You grew accustomed to the cold after a while.

Taking a new grip on the sacks she'd got flung over her shoulder, the woman pulled her hood tighter around her head in a vain attempt to get warmer, then she forced her feet to move over the snow crusted stones. The only people outside were beggars at 2 pm, and she longed after a cup of Nordic ale after a long time in the snow. But duty required her to leave the sacks with the outlaws' equipment to the arms master in the barracks, and so that's where she headed.

The barracks had been relocated to the side of the northern gate just after an accident several years back, before she came to Bruma. It laid just between the north gate and the towns only bakery in the merchants quarter.

Ekalis' steps took her for a while along the White Road which went straight from the east gate to the castle, and through the square situated outside the chapel of Talos. Then she turned onto Axe Avenue towards the northern gate and zigzagged through the crowd. The avenue was by far the largest of the five streets going parallel to each other of which the Merchants quarter consisted and was thus the most trafficked of the roads. Here stood one of the branches of Divine Elegance as well as the Sparkling Pearl, without a doubt the most lavish inn in town. These where only two of the many buildings lining the street however, most of them so exclusive that she'd never put a foot within the door.

Because the road was so wide she got through the throng of people rather quickly, silently thanking the gods that it was the end of the week.

It didn't take long before the northern gate and walls met her eyes, and with them the barracks. Being one of the very few stone buildings within the city it was quite a sight, and every now and then guards entered and left the building.

Stepping up on the porch of the building she kicked the snow of her boots and reached out to open the door. At the same moment though, someone else opened it from inside and she stood where she was when one of the city watch stepped out. He recognised her rather quickly once he looked up.

"Ekali," He said and both of them put their right hands to their chests in the customary legion greeting. "The captain was just starting to wonder whether you'd disappeared."

"Janus. I was caught in a snowstorm a few days up the mountains after tracking the bandits and taking care of them," she answered and he smiled, rubbing his hands together for warmth.

"It's almost so that I regret asking to be posted here in Bruma, it's so cold all the time." He shivered slightly, and then looked at her again. "Well, me and a couple others are headed to the Spotted Snow-bear in a while, you coming?" It was first then that Ekali noticed that instead of wearing his guard armour the imperial wore the common wool breaches and shirt, mittens, fur boots and a wool scarf that he'd wrapped around his neck.

"Sorry, can't. I have to get these bags to the quartermaster and then I intend to take a warm bath. Maybe later though." She hefted the bags up for him to see them better, and he nodded.

"Al right, we'll probably be there for quite a long while anyway. I heard a caravan just arrived from The Imperial City and would like to know what news they bring. Someone ought to have talked to them. Just don't take too long will you. I think Felix's got a crush on you. He's been absolutely miserable this last month," he said and smirked.

"Felix don't ever get a crush, he just gets sick all the time. And when do I ever take long when I do something?" She said and he stepped down from the porch with a shrug.

"True that. You do take quite a long time tracking in the mountains though."

"Well, at least I catch what I set out to catch. Not like the last forester up here. You told me he never got anything done and spent a third of every month in town. And then he went and killed himself in a snowstorm because he couldn't dig a proper snow cave. I read the report on his death." The khajiit shook her head in disgust and Janus snickered.

"I'll see you later I suppose," He said and walked away from her along the eastern road when she stepped inside the door to the barracks.

The Bruma barracks were divided into three levels. The cellar with storage and practice area, the ground floor held the dining area and that's where the captain of the guard had his office. The second level was where everyone slept and took care of other business. It looked quite a bit like the Fighter's guild hall, though there wasn't any ornaments around.

She turned to the cellar door and walked down, hailing the quartermaster and putting her load on the table before him.

"You had a good hunt?" He asked when all of the formalities had been taken care of and he'd stowed away the equipment in the room behind him.

"Yeah, I got caught in a snowstorm on the way back, but otherwise it was a quite calm trip. If you don't count on the fact that I spent a lot of time hunting outlaws and making sure they didn't see me that is." He smiled and shook my hand.

"I'm sure it wasn't to hard for you. Now I've got some paperwork to do, and I imagine you'd like to take a bath. We can talk more later," he said and she smiled before walking back up the stairs.


	4. 1.3 News To Ruffle Feathers

The noise level was high in the tavern even before she stepped within it's doors. People laughing and shouting out to each other, occasionally the clatter of jugs as a drunk lost hold of their drink. Her eyes looked over the familiar building, the huge logs of which the walls are built weathered by time, and a smile crept upon her lips at the sight of the spotted snow bear on the sign.

You could get whatever drink you wanted in there as the owner cared a lot about her spirits. Whether that was a sujamma from Morrowind or a bottle of Tamika's from the third era, she'd have gotten it. Of course the Tamika's wouldn't come cheaply, but then it was about two hundred years old as well.

The spotted snow bear was also the tavern that all of the guards and the Fighters Guild went to. There was even an occasional magi in there, which all in all made it a rather orderly place, not that one would think so hearing all the noise. The few civilians in the place were the middle class shop keepers. The high class wouldn't come because they didn't want to mix with "common fighters" and the lesser class wouldn't come because they couldn't afford it for the most part, and the owner didn't accept ill-gotten means. Some of them simply wanted trouble, and if you came there looking for trouble, you'd be thrown out through the door.

Stepping up on the porch, she opened the door and slowly inhaled as a wave of alcohol and noise pushed itself against her. The khajiits eyes slid over the room to locate the group with whom she usually drank, and she made her way across the familiar establishment. One of the guardsmen with Nordic heritage, Olaf Strongaxe, raised his jug in greeting as she approached. Greeting all of them she seated herself at the table and waved for a serving wench.

"So, have you had any luck with your quarry?" Olaf asked and the woman smiled in return.

"Are all of you Nords so blunt?" she asked in answer and ordered a jug of mead from the waiter when she came up.

"Aye, most definitely," Olaf said and let out a booming laugh. There were several amused smiles around the table, and as soon as Olaf went quiet Ekali began the telling of what she'd done those last weeks. When she finished talking, Janus was the one who continued the conversation.

"So, when do we get to met this wolf whom have been guarding your back? Gladio, I believe you called him." She'd gotten her jug a while ago, and took a swig from it before answering.

"Never probably. He's not very fond of towns, the smells and noises tend to be to much for him." She looked pointedly at Olaf when saying the last, and the rest of the men either guffawed or chuckled loudly. "Have anything interesting happened lately?"

"Very little. Some nwah started shouting about the end of the world a couple weeks ago. Apparently someone's minions are going to engulf the world in fire, and then that someone is going to eat it. I think that's what he meant anyway. To make a long story short we threw him in the dungeon, and he haven't bothered anyone since." The single dark elf of the guard, Neven, said and chuckled. She smiled back at him.

"And then there was the centurion whom arrived a two days ago. Arurus Brecus, was that his name? Anyway he was asking around about you," Olaf cut in, and the females spirits dropped noticeably.

"Arturius Braccus, Olaf, that's what he's called," Janus said and then looked at Ekali, continuing when he noticed the solemn expression on her face. "Do you know him?"

"He was my commanding officer back in the Imperial City, we didn't part on the best of terms." She shrugged. "Can't imagine why he'd want to meet me."

"Perhaps he just want to see how you are, doesn't have to be anything bad you know," Neven said and she looked over at him.

"That's why we didn't part on the best of terms, because he wanted to see me," she grumbled, and Olaf spewed his drink over the table.

"An Imperial wanted to... Sorry, just have to get the picture out of my brain. But then it just makes even less sense." Neven stammered when he spoke, and she glared at him.

"I don't want to talk about it," she hissed and he nodded.

"Um sure. Hey, Janus I heard you're getting married. Who's the lucky girl." The rest of them around the table took a while longer than Neven to recover, and so it took a while before Janus registered what he'd said. The khajiit sunk down in he chair and didn't look much like she wanted to be there. She drank to much while her friends talked, which in turn made certain that she wouldn't remember the nights events.


	5. 1.4 Crude Awakening

It was with an aching head that she awoke the following morning. Trying to get up into a sitting position, Ekali pushed the arm lying around her waist away. Clothing littered the floor, and she stood up to get hers, but necessity brought her to a bucket in the corner where she emptied her stomach of yesterdays meal.

When she was finished she looked around again, avoiding the bed and the person in it. Horror came upon her face when she spotted the small blue potion next to a pitcher on a small table and she gulped it down, barely stopping for breath before downing the water in the pitcher. Ekali then quickly gathered up her clothes and put them on before heading for the door.

A groan from the bed only got her feet moving faster when getting out through the door. She avoided looking back, and was momentarily blinded by the light in the corridor at the abrupt change. She did not face any further difficulties in getting down the stairs to the common room where a middle-aged man stood behind the counter, smiling as she approached him.

"Did you have fun?" He said with a wink.

"I've no idea." Was the khajiits mumbled response as she groaned inwardly, knowing that if the innkeeper knew what had happened, so did her friends. She rubbed her forehead in pain, and grimaced. "You don't sell any cure potions do you?"

"No, you'll have to see an alchemist for that," he said, still smiling. Ekali simply nodded before leaving the Spotted Snow-bear. The roads outside the inn were busy, and she had to weave through the crowd to get to the alchemists shop. The sun was shining, and the khajiit put her hand up to shield her eyes.

The alchemists shop lay only a bit further down the road from the Spotted Snow-bear, and though it was built from wood it truly stood out from the crowd. No one passed it without looking up at the building, which had given the owner a very good income.

The walls held an illusion that made them look like they were bending inwards, and the door frame was made of solid stone. The sign hanging above the door depicted a cauldron with the words "Concoctions to fulfil every need" in green coming out of it. It was a private shop, and according to legion files the owner had received training at the Synods' facilities in the Imperial City.

Ekali stepped up on the stairs and opened the door, producing a creaking sound. Inside the walls where straight and ingredients and potions where scattered everywhere. A male Altmer stood at an alchemy station behind the counter.

"Coming in a bit! Just have to finish this next step!" The man called out hurriedly in a shrill voice. The khajiit rubbed her forehead again, wincing at the high volume in which he spoke and sought out a place on the counter where it would be safe to lean as she looked around the room. The Altmer continued to fiddle some ingredients before pouring them into the boiling water he'd set up and checking the correct amount. He then wiped his hands on an already dirty cloth, and turned to the counter and the female khajiit.

"So, what may I do for you today? The restore stamina potions have been selling like mad lately, but perhaps you require something more specific. Something to increase the weight you can carry or perhaps even a weak poison to get back at a friend hmm? There is this remarkable potion made from blisterworth and troll fat that puts those afflicted into a..." When the Altmer started speaking he barely paused for breath, and the khajiit held her hand up to get him to stop.

"Sorry, but I just want a potion of cure poison," she said and smiled apologetically.

"Oh, a hangover then? Wouldn't have picked you for one of those who drank to much." The altmer bent down beneath the counter and soon came back up with a potion in a brown bottle. "That's 60 drakes please."

"I don't usually drink that much," she answered and took out her money pouch, collecting sixty drakes into her hand and handing them over. They were small coins made of copper with a small dragon printed on one side.

"Most people say that," the Altmer answered and handed her the potion, thanking her for the business.

"I suppose most people would." She smiled and said good bye before heading out the door and drinking the potion. The change was immediate as she relaxed and smiled up at the sun instead of covering her eyes.

As Ekali walked back to the barracks the people of Bruma continued on their way, hurrying to deliver something or simply taking a stroll. She didn't pay much attention to others, and upon reaching the barracks she scraped the snow of her boots and went inside.

A couple of off duty guards were sparring with each other, going through the fundamental motions at a high pace. Aside from them, barely anyone was on the ground floor except a Nord whom was taking a cup of mead, probably just having come back from his shift.

Ekali glanced at the men briefly before heading up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Several men where lying in bed sleeping when she came up the stairs and went over to her little space. It wasn't much, simply a bed and chest, but anything else would have been superfluous as she spent so little time in town.

She stripped of clothing and wrapped a tallow around her body, heading over to the water pump and the shower stalls. Grabbing three buckets, she then filled them with water and heated the water using her flame spell before stepping into one of the stalls.


	6. 1.5 Sellout

Ekali just came out of the bathroom when Janus was climbing out of bed. He looked like a zombie with his hair completely messed up and a part of his face was red because he'd slept in the same position to long. He squinted with his eyes, grabbing a tunic of his bed stand and pulling it on.

"Good morning," she purred happily as she walked to her bed and took a clean change of clothes from the chest. The only sign that Janus had heard her was a grunt, and she chuckled as she put the clothes on. "Drank to much huh?" He grunted again, and walked slowly into the bathroom to put his head beneath the pump. Ekali smiled and picked up one of the few books she had bought with her salary.

He came stumbling out a couple of minutes later, after a lot of running water and emptying of his stomach. She looked up at him as he made his way to his chest and fumbled with the cork of a bottle before downing the contents. When done, he sighed and sunk down with his back against the bed, looking at her.

"Do you remember what happened yesterday?" Janus asked with a look of confusion on his face, and Ekali sighed.

"I was hoping to ask you the same question. I don't remember anything after Neven said you were getting married. Who is it you're marrying by the way, and why? You haven't mentioned anyone," She said, peering over at him.

"Oh, I always forget you're not into gossip as much as the others. And then you were gone for a month. Um, her name is Juliana, named for Julianos you know. We met in the chapel actually, she was looking to cure some illness she'd got when travelling and I was praying as usual. We've been going out for about a year now, I never really thought of telling anyone about her." He looked down into the floor, fiddling with his fingers.

"I suppose you've never been one for initiating conversations. Congratulations, I hope you're happy with each other." Ekali smiled at him.

"Thanks, I hope so to. Have you eaten yet?" he asked, putting on his clothes after drying his hair with a tallow.

"No, not yet. Bernard's place usually serves good breakfast." The khajiit stood up and hung her axes by her belt when she spoke.

"Or we could go to the Spotted Snow-bear," Janus answered while hanging his sword by his side and Ekali sighed.

"I'd rather not. Besides, I'm hungry for eggs and bread, not slop." She smiled at him.

"They don't serve slop at the Snow-bear, it's a... uh... stew. Yeah, that's right, they serve stew." The Imperial was starting to look uncomfortable.

"Whatever makes you feel better." Ekali chuckled and walked out of the building with Janus on her heels. They made their way through town, happily arguing over whether the Spotted Snow-bears food could actually be considered edible. In the end, they decided to go to Bernard's Unusual Cuisine.

However, just as they were to enter the establishment a runner came up to them. He wore simple clothes, so simple that one could wonder if he felt the cold, and sweat was coming of his face from the run.

"Forester Ekali? Centurion Braccus asks for you to meet with him at your earliest inco... convenience. He is staying in the castle." With that, the runner saluted and took of again. There was a forlorn look on Ekali's face as she looked after him. Seeing it, Janus stepped up to her.

"He said you should come at you earliest convenience..." he began slowly.

"And you know as well as I what that means," she answered, stepping away from the building after finally tearing her eyes of the lad.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it shouldn't be anything bad. We're both part of the legion, he can't do anything. Right?" She said, trying to sound light-hearted. But worry swirled in her eyes, and her tail stayed close to her legs.

"He shouldn't," Janus said, doubtfully. Ekali shrugged, asked him to wish her luck and left for the castle. Janus looked after her for a while before turning to the chapel and closing his eyes briefly, mumbling something beneath his breath. Then he walked into the establishment to eat.

:-:-:-:

Arturius Braccus was sitting by his desk when he heard light steps approaching his office. He had the few documents he needed in front of him, and his sword was leaned against the desk. The Imperial wore plate armour which had been polished so that it shone, except for the helmet he'd placed next to the documents. He did not know what to expect after such a long time.

"Enter," he said when soft thuds was heard on the door from her paw, and she walked in, eyes finding him within moments. She saluted and he was once again reminded of why he considered her beautiful.

"You asked for me, sir." Though her face was expressionless, her ears were angled slightly backwards, and he couldn't help but to notice that her tail was still. She had thicker fur than most khajiit, and its pattern reminded him of a snow leopards pelt he'd once seen. Realising that he was staring, the centurion tore his eyes away and cleared his throat.

"I'm going to get straight to the point. About a week ago a delegate arrived in the Imperial City. The delegate came from Riften in Skyrim, the Jarl to be even more precise. Apparently her son set out on an expedition into the Jerall mountains with six companions. They were found a couple of weeks ago, and she says you did it." He looked at Ekali as understanding dawned on her face.

"What? I couldn't have. I killed a couple people, but they robbed a village, and it was just two days ago. I've been hunting them for..." She was getting rather panicky when he held up a hand.

"A month, perhaps. Do you deny that you killed seven men carrying these kinds of amulets around their necks? Do you have anyone that could vouch for you?" he asked, holding one of the amulets she'd brought in beneath the light of the candle on his desk. She shook her head, having forgotten her repulsion for him.

"I took those from the bandits, and how could I have anyone..? I didn't kill anyone I wasn't told to kill!" She continued to shake her head, as if it could make the whole ordeal come to a stop.

"The Emperor and his council does not need more trouble from Skyrim than they've already got, which is why they're handing you over to the Jarl." He watched her as she continued to stare at the amulet, and two legionnaires stepped into the room. "You are hereby accused of the murder of Saerdur Lawgiver, to be escorted into Skyrim within two days and handed over to the guard of Riften as soon as possible. You may talk and try to convince them of your innocence, but I truly doubt the Jarl will be merciful. Take her away," he said the last to the two legionnaires whom stepped forward.

"But why..?"

"Because you're a soldier. Your word doesn't weigh as heavily as the Jarls and in the eyes of the politicians, soldiers will always be expendable." She looked at him with a look that made him feel responsible when the legionnaires took her by the arms and led her out the door.

Arturius Braccus sighed and sat down by his desk, putting his head into his hands. _That anyone could serve in the legion for_ _ **eighteen**_ _years and still be sold like a piece of meat. She was damned good at her job to. Divines have mercy on her soul,_ Braccus thought, rubbing his forehead.


	7. 1.6 Silent Night

She watched as they got the khajiit female into the carriage and headed out the city gates. The girl was hanging with her head, ears down and seemingly trying to be as small as possible. The person watching them picked some snow of her black fur before pulling the hood up over her head and heading after them. Nothing could go wrong, not when she'd already come so close. If the girl didn't reach Skyrim, a lot of people would get to pay.

She continued to follow at a distance as the carriage left the sight of the city wall, slowly being pulled into the mountains by the draft horse. She'd just have to get the girl on the right track, then Ser conscience would kick in and do the rest, or so she told herself.

The person in black fur and clothing raised her head as she spotted something moving between her and the carriage. It was crouched over, walking on all fours. The only sign of the white creature was the glinting eyes, three of them.

She drew her glass daggers from their scabbards as she crouched down and approached the snow troll. Its eyes were intent on the people in the carriage, and it did not know of her presence until it felt the sharp jab of pain in its back. The creature whirled around, casting snow all over, and she barely parried the slash of its claws.

Sliding out of the way, she slashed at the trolls arm with both daggers, and blood flowed freely from the wound. The beast growled when it tumbled down into the snow, incapable of stopping the dagger aiming for its throat.

:-:-:-:

Ekali exhaled on her hands and rubbed them together to keep the warmth up. A cloak was hanging over her shoulders, but it did little to ease the cold in the black of night. Used bowls lay by the fire in front of which she was sitting.

One of the men was sitting on his bedroll, while the other one looked out into the night. He'd stepped away from the fire to see better, but a howl from somewhere nearby caused him to go back to the fire.

"Something or someone is following us. We'll have to make sure the fire burns brightly tonight." The man whom had been looking into the night shivered, as the other looked at him.

"Any idea what it is, or how many?"

"Couldn't tell, it always stays at the edge of my vision. Except for the wolf you just heard, he's been after us for a while now, doesn't seem like he wants to approach though." The standing man cast a glance backwards as the dreary howl pierced the night again, closer this time.

"Could be a scavenger." The man who was sitting cast a glance at Ekali when he finished speaking, she was hunched over as if though to keep warm.

"Don't think so. He looked much to healthy last time I saw him. I may not know much about animals, but I know a well-fed dog when I see one, and a wolf is little difference."

"Might be a tracker then, not that I know who would want to track us. We'll kill it if it comes close enough, I don't want no one slitting my throat in the night." Since he was still looking at the khajiit when he spoke, he saw as her head flew up, eyes fixed on him. Then her eye flew over the encampment, sticking to a spot behind him.

"Stay away," she growled, and the soldier turned around just in time to see the wolf disappear through the snow. He got to his feet, seeing that the other man had already drawn his sword.

"He won't come back, not that close anyway. He could out-smarten a dog any time and he knows when he's not needed." The men looked back at the woman, and the one with the sword drawn put it back in its scabbard.

She didn't look at them for long until she lowered her head again, mumbling something which the men couldn't hear even when they sat down on either side of the fire.


	8. 2.1 Crossing the Border

The air only got colder as the group ascended towards the pass, and the cartwheels skidded slightly on the uneven path. But the draft horse had no trouble with the climb, even when having the carriage stuck behind him.

The group consisted of three people, two men wearing the Imperial Legion armour and a khajiit woman in cotton clothing with her hands tied in front of her. She looked like she was sleeping as the men conversed, the one in the front steering the horse carefully while the other stayed close to the sleeping woman.

They continued on yet for a while, until they could see the border-pass and the sun came up over the mountains.

The females eyes fluttered open when the carriage wheel came across a rather deep hole in the road, and the face that had earlier been so peaceful took on an expression of sorrow as she looked around. She saw the old tower before anything else, the border-watch between Tamriel and Skyrim. It had been unoccupied for years, which was why she was confused at the sight of people milling about outside.

The people were divided into two groups. One consisted of Imperial soldiers clad in light armour, their female captain whom wore plate armour and a general.

The other group were all tied up just like the female khajiit. They wore some kind of ragged armour made from a mix of chain-mail and leather, with a large piece of blue cloth over their left shoulder. One of them, a man standing straighter than the others, was gagged and wore finery instead of armour. Of to the side of that group there was also another clad in a prisoners clothing, his hands also tied in front of him. All of the bound men and women were Nords.

Ekali looked at one of her escorts who shrugged in answer to her silent question. She then turned her gaze back at the soldiers, and relief washed over her when she didn't see anyone she knew.

As they came closer, they noticed that the captain and the general was talking with one of the soldiers, white condensation spilling from their mouths, and the subject became obvious to the group when they saw the soldiers two wagons of to the side of the road. One of them had two broken wheels, and they knew there was no people to be found within five miles. The remaining carriage was much to small to fit all of the prisoners.

"Halt, what is your business in Skyrim?" The captain had come up to them when they looked at the carriages and she was now awaiting an answer. Her back was straight and her voice hard, hinting that command was nothing new to her. The general was still talking to the soldier.

"We're escorting this prisoner to Riften, ma'am," the soldier behind the reins said and saluted.

"Huh, accused by some Jarl I take it, they are the only ones the Empire would bend to on such a matter. We need this carriage, and I doubt the Jarl will care about in which state she shows up. As your superior, I command you to help us get to Helgen." She inspected the horse and carriage as she spoke, and the soldier in the carriage gave the khajiit an apologetic look.

"Yes, ma'am," the driver said.

"We're in a hurry, so let's just get the prisoners into the carriages and carry on," she said to the other soldiers whom instantly got up and prepared to depart. In the carriage with the khajiit, who had once again slumbered of when they were finished, they put the gagged man, a blonde soldier and the dark haired Nord wearing simple clothing. The soldier who had been next to the woman got a horse and rode behind them.

So the groups were joined together and continued, without the knowledge of the prisoners, towards Helgen.


	9. 2.2 Lined Up For the Block

It was afternoon when the group of prisoners and soldiers approached Helgen. None of the prisoners did much, and the soldiers kept quiet. Then the khajiit raised her head after opening her eyes. She looked around for a bit, on the huge mountains and swaying pines, before her eyes rested on the other prisoners.

The one straight across from her had quite tall hair for a man, and it had the blonde colour she'd often seen on Nords. He had the beginning of a beard on his face, and turned his attention to the khajiit when he noticed that she was awake.

"Hey you, you're finally awake. You came on this carriage didn't you? From Cyrodiil," the soldier said, and Ekali nodded to him.

"Damn you stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you I could have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell by now. I shouldn't be here, neither should you I reckon," the Nord in rags said turning his eyes on the khajiit.

"We're all brothers and sisters in binds bow, thief," the blonde soldier answered, sighing heavily.

"Shut up back there!" a soldier called out from the front, though the prisoners paid no mind.

"And what's wrong with him, huh?" the thief asked, turning his eyes to the man in finery.

"Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true high king."

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they've captured you... Oh gods, where are they taking us?" the thiefs' voice took a shrill tone towards the end, as he put his head in his hand.

"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits." The blonde soldier looked at the thief.

"No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening."

"Hey, what village are you from horse-thief?" The thief raised his head when the other man spoke.

"Why do you care?"

"A Nords last thought's should be of home."

"Rorikstead. I'm... I'm from Rorikstead." Just then their gazes were drawn to the wooden gate looming above them, a man standing at the top of it.

"General Tullius sir, the headsman is waiting!" the soldier at the gate called out before it opened.

"Good, let's get this over with," the general said, splitting of from the column when he came through the gate, and rode up to a group of Altmer nearby.

"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me," the thief begged in a scared voice. He sat with his head in his hands as the carriage continued through the small town.

"Look at him, General Tallius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they'd something to do with this," the Nord soldier said as they rode past the General and the high elves. He gazed over their surrounding as they continued. "This is Helgen, I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." The soldiers voice changed from informative, to distant and then to anger as he told the khajiit about the place.

The carriages moved through the streets to an open space where they were steered of to the side. "Get these prisoners out of the cart, move it!" the Imperial Captain from earlier called out as they drove up to a wall and the thief's head flew up.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked, looking around.

"What do you think? End of the line. Let's go, shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us." The prisoners stood up in the cart and moved out of it one by one.

"No, wait, we're not rebels!" the thief called out with panic when Ekali made her way out of the carriage.

"Face you death with some courage, thief." The Nord soldier didn't turn to the other man when responding, and then as one of the soldiers started to read from a list of names, he started to fidget more and more. Ulfric Stormcloak, Ralof of Riverwood and then when it was time for Lokir of Rorikstead, he ran only to be shot down by the archers. The soldier reading the list noted that the female khajiits' name was not there, but the captain said she'd be put to the block in any case.

Ekali followed the Captain quietly, coming to a stop next to Ralof, and looked on as the general and then the priestess began to talk. It was not long before one of the soldiers interrupted and walked up to the block of his own volition.

Annoyed, the priestess stepped aside, and the Imperial Captain pushed the prisoner down to the block. Ekali winced when the executioner's axe came down, but she met the Captain's eyes straight on when the woman called out that it was the khajiits' turn. Not hesitating, she walked forward and came to stand in front of the block before the Captain pushed her down as well.

Looking up at the executioner, Ekali heard the same strange sound the others heard, as well as the calls from people wondering what it was as the executioner readied his axe. The Captain ordered them to go on with it, and effectively put a stop to the worry that was spreading.

Lying on the side, Ekali got a great look at the creature as it flew towards Helgen and perched on one of the towers closest to the group. As panic erupted in the small town, the dragon made some kind of sound, throwing people back from it. The executioner came flying over her as she tumbled to the ground, head spinning. Her head held nothing but chaos until someone shouted in her ear, pulling her up on her feet.

"Up khajiit! We need to move!" Her vision returned to her just I time to see the blonde Nord in front of her, then burning rocks fell around them and she was running after the man, fighting to stay on her feet.


	10. 2.3 Split-second Decision

Screams and burning wood roared outside the doors of the tower, that was what Ekali heard when she slumped down next to the stone wall as Ralof spoke to the Jarl who was now standing. She was rubbing her forehead in frustration, not really knowing what to do next now that she was free. Getting out of Helgen of course, but then what could she do? She'd been so focused on death that she could think of little else.

She managed to clear her head in time to see that the men had stopped speaking, and stood up to look at them. Ralof walked over to her, telling her that they had to get further up the tower, and Ekali followed.

Almost having reached the middle level, the two were thrown back by a blast as the beast knocked the wall in and there came a stream of fire through it. The heat licked at their faces where they huddled on the stairs, and when the fiery air cooled, the dragon gone to hunt others, both of them hurried to the hole left in the wall.

"Jump through to the roof of the inn, I'll come later," Ralof said, pointing to the house just outside the tower, and Ekali nodded to him, stepping back a bit and then leaping across he gap to land with a grunt on the floor of the upper level of the building. Glancing back, she saw the Nord disappear back down the tower stairs, and she herself made her way out of the building towards the street.

The soldier whom had been calling out names yelled for a man to hide as she came up to him, and the cause was evident when the dragon landed on the street and fire sprouted where the man had just stood. Staggering back, Ekali crouched by the Imperial soldier.

"Still alive prisoner? I suggest you stay with me if you want to keep it that way," the soldier said without turning around, giving instructions to the other man and the boy whom had been with them. He arose again when the dragon took of, and Ekali had to run to keep up with him as he ran down the street, eyes flying about.

She stooped down to grab the short-sword of a dead soldier just before they came onto a fallen building and had to go into the road on their left to get around it.

"Take cover by the wall!" the soldier called to her as she jumped down the broken stairs after him, and mere moments after she pressed her back into the shadow of the wall the dragon landed above them, placing its wings inches from her face and causing fire to surround a group standing further away.

The dragon did not linger, taking to the air again, and Ekali ran with the soldier down the small road, through a burned house and then out onto the open space in front of the gate. He said something to the soldiers holding the area, and then they were of running again.

The courtyard contained little debris though the dragon swept over it every other minute, and Ekali soon saw Ralof coming on the other side.

"Get out of our way Halldir!" Ralof said venomously when they stopped before each other.

"You'll pay for this Stormcloak," the Imperial answered and took of towards one of the doors to the keep while calling for Ekali to follow him.

"We have to get out of here," Ralof said and hurried to another door. Ekali was struck by indecision, but made her mind up when she saw the black dragon come for another go over the courtyard, and sprinted after the Nord just as he got the door open.


	11. 2.4 No Going Back

It was oddly quiet inside the keep when Ralof had closed the doors, only the distant screams witnessed to the horror taking place outside. They walked into the circular entry-room, their eyes on the dead Stormcloak by the table.

"Blasted Imperials," he cursed. "You can take poor Gunjar's armour. I'll check the doors and keep a look-out in case anyone is coming," he continued without looking at her and walked over to one of the doors. Ekali looked at him briefly before crouching down and stripping the soldier of his chain-mail and cloth armour. Then she donned it with ease, making a few extra holes in the belt using her claws so that it fit around her waist. She took his pack as well, and hung the short-sword she'd found on the belt together with the soldiers axe. A few coins jingled when she touched his pouch, and she tied that to the belt as well.

Ralof had stopped next to one of the doors when she came up next to him, and he gestured for her to stand on the other side of it. Doing so, Ekali soon heard the footsteps of two soldiers. One pair of feet with steel boots, and one with leather. That they were unfamiliar with sneaking was evident.

Since she hadn't seen steel boots on any of the Stormcloaks, Ekali drew the short-sword with her left hand and readied her flame spell in the right. Ralof nodded when he saw it, pulling out his axe.

The two listened tentatively to the steps coming closer to the door, then a key was put in the lock and it swung open to admit them. The captain and the soldier saw the two ex-prisoners immediately, barely drawing their swords before rushing at them. The soldier brought his sword down on Ekali and she deflected it hurriedly, stepping so that Ralof were no longer in her firing range before bringing her right hand up to engulf the Imperial soldier in fire.

The captain's reaction to the screams left her guard down, allowing Ralof to hack at the space between her shoulder plates and helmet. The woman slumped to the floor moments later, next to the still burning soldier whose suffering Ekali had just ended.

They stood there for a moment before cleaning the weapons, putting them back in their scabbards and stooping by the captain. The soldier had become almost unrecognisable, nothing but a charred corpse left. Searching the captain, they found several keys as well as some money. While Ralof took the keys to try them in one of the other doors in the room, Ekali pocketed the money and stood up before casting a last look at the soldier and asking the Eight to accept their souls in Aetherius.

"There's no way back now is there," she said, stopping by the door that Ralof held open for her. Her gaze looked absent when she said it, a look of mourning on her face, and he furrowed his brows at the odd question.

"What?" the Nord asked in return.

"I spent more than half my life as an Imperial forester. Even if I meet my friends again I'll never be able to look them in the eyes." Ralof looked at the dead soldiers with surprise written on his face. Then he looked at the khajiit for a moment when she started down the stairs, shook his head and hurried after her. They could talk about it later.


	12. 2.5 A Visit From Vaermina

_The darkness was seeping cold, the torch she held barely lit up a three feet circle around her. Noticing the white mist she made when she breathed, she looked around. Her tail was moving slowly, closer to her body than usual and she heard a shuffle in the distance before the dark was penetrated by the sound of a collapsing roof and someone's scream. Crouching down to avoid being taken of her feet, the khajiit waited for the shaking to subside before she stood again._

_The floor was sticky when she continued down the corridor, and upon reaching the blockage she knew would be there, the white khajiit turned left to a door by the side. It came open on it's own volition, and though nothing but darkness was visible, she stepped through._

_The darkness broke up just as the the sword swung at her, and she brought her broadsword up in a parry. The imperial sidestepped and swung again, but she felled him with a quick strike to the knees, and then brought the point of the blade down into his chest. With his dying gasp, the man's features changed, and she started at the sight of Janus. A woman yelled out from the corner, and the room lit up completely to show the khajiit her surroundings._

_Bypassing the entrails on the walls, and the rotting flesh around her feet, the khajiit's eyes landed on the Dunmer across from her, and though she called out no sound was heard when Neven's cold eyes fell upon her and his blade went through her abdomen._

Ekali sat up with a start, looking around once before breaking into silent tears. The night was cool, the sky lit up by the light from the warrior's stone she'd touched the day before. A bright aurora covered the sky, and Ralof was sitting against a tree-trunk on the other side of the camp. He was looking at her with a wondering expression.

"What?" she asked when she'd composed herself, making an effort to get the salt away from her fur.

"Just trying to figure you out. Whatever for did you have to attack that bear?" he asked, and Ekali shrugged, turning her head to stare into the fire between them. She'd stretched the bear pelt out next to them after cleaning it, and the remains of the doe they'd hunted down was concealed in a sack. She'd stopped him from throwing them away by saying they'd be good to use in some potions.

"Good bowman-ship anyway, wouldn't have expected it from someone who..." he stopped briefly before switching the subject, and the khajiit seemed to ignore the slip-up. "What happened to make the Empire want to execute you anyway?"

"False accusation of murdering the son of Riften's Jarl, Saerdur Lawgiver, a couple of weeks ago," she said, voice almost devoid of emotion.

"Obviously. Saerdur ain't dead. The Jarl put him in house arrest until he can control his tongue, he's been slandering the name of Ulfric Stormclak, saying the Empire is the one we should trust. Complete mammoth tripe of course, they'll do nothing but raise our temples to the ground and give the Thalmor access to anyone they consider a heathen." When he turned his eyes to Ekali again, she was looking at him with anger evident in her eyes.

"Why exactly are you fighting the Empire? I heard something about the Thalmor insulting one of your war heroes, but never really got any clear explanations," she said and watched his expression darken as well.

"Seems nothing but lies comes out of the mouths of the Empire these days. Typical of them to distort the truth. Ysmir, or Tiber Septim as he's also called, was the greatest war hero to ever have lived. When he died he ascended to god-hood, and the Eight divines became the Nine Divines. The Thalmor wish to end our worship of him, and since the Empire are pawns of the Thalmor, we fight them," Ralof practically snarled, and Ekali nodded in understanding. She could understand that. They sat in silence for a while before he spoke up again. "Do you have any plans? The Stormcloaks could use a fighter such as yourself, should you wish to join us."

"I don't know. I've never been outside Cyrodiil before, or even considered what I would do if I ended up somewhere else. She spent so much time teaching me to fight, but never said what exactly it was she wanted me to do with it," Ekali lowered her voice, only speaking to herself, when she uttered the last sentence. Yet Ralof heard it, and raised his eyebrows.

"Who exactly?" he asked. Ekali sighed, looking around them. She took in the stillness and the running water, almost allowing herself to relax before she turned back to him.

"I suppose most would call her my mother, though the only way that is true is because she raised me. I knew her as Dar'Ilthi, and I haven't seen her shadow since I left for the Imperial City." Ekali looked away from him again, at the running river beneath their camp site.

"Isn't that the leader of the Dark Brotherhood?" Ralof asked, and Ekali's eyes grew wider.

"What! She's a member of... I knew she was a thief, but that..!" The two stayed silent for a while afterwards, just staring into space, but then Ralof shook his head.

"We should try to get some sleep. You are welcome to go with me to Riverwood tomorrow, my sister lives there with her husband. You can make up your mind of what to do afterwards," he said, and Ekali nodded. Both of them lay down on the hard ground again, and after a little while nothing could be heard but the sighing of the wind in the trees as they fell into sleep.


	13. 2.6 You Don't Look Like a Faendal

It was early in the morning when the khajiit and the Nord approached Riverwood. The sun was shining, though there was a slight chill in the air. The pair stayed quiet when they walked, but didn't notice the people whom were looking at them.

The black-furred female leaned leisurely against her companion as she watched the two walk along the road. They'd chosen the place to watch from since it gave them a good view of most of Riverwood, while still concealing them from the watchful eyes of other people. The male khajiit with the copper fur had his arm around her waist, and his chin rested on the top of her head.

Sighing, the female pressed a kiss to the lips of her mate before stepping away. "She's wearing fur. Fur! One little spark and she'll go up in flames!" She said, and the male shrugged.

"So? Will the cub need protection against fire?" the male asked, trying to get a hold of her again. Frowning, the female pushed him away again, throwing a glance at the couple walking into Riverwood.

"Very much so. I must go and fetch her something, will you watch her? Make sure nothing happens?" The female looked at him, something akin to love in her eyes.

"Ma'Zhirr will do anything for you dearest," the male answered, a sly grin on his face as he took in her lithe body. The female frowned at him, but kissed him one last time before pulling her mask up and mounting the black horse whom had been standing behind them. Ma'Zhirr watched her go before turning towards the town again. He saw the other two talking to some people, and then they entered a house together. Sitting down to watch, the male caught a butterfly that came to close, and started picking its wings apart for entertainment.

* * *

It was loud in the tavern despite the recent dragon sighting, and Ekali would've had trouble finding a spot if not for Ralof. He sat across from her, though she had not held his attention for long. He was talking to some other men at a nearby table. They were wearing commoner clothes both of them, having left the armour at the house.

She was staring into her third mug of mead with a frown on her face, and thus not many bothered her. One of those who did though, was the bard sitting nearby. He'd been singing "The Dragonborn comes" and was walking over to her after taking a few sips from his mug.

"You wouldn't want to make some money would you?" the bard asked when he came closer, and the female looked up at him.

"What would it involve?" she asked, drinking another mouthful of the familiar drink. The bard smiled in an attempt to appear charming, and sat down next to her. Ralof wasn't paying attention, he'd taken to flirting with one of the serving wenches.

"Oh, just delivering this note to Camilla Valerius and telling her it's from Faendal." The Nord smiled again, and the khajiit frowned.

"You don't look like a Faendal," she answered him and took another swig.

"That's because I'm Sven. Faendal is my rival, and the treehugger shouldn't be allowed to court such a lovely lady. I want him out of the picture." The bard looked at the khajiit, not noticing the smile on her lips as she'd once again raised her mug.

"Sure, I'll help you," she said, and the Nord smiled in response. Then he got up and left the table after handing Ekali the note. She took a look at it before leaving some septims on the table and standing up to leave. Then she nodded to Ralof and walked out the door.

A cold wind blew outside when she made her way towards the trader's house. Though it was long after closing hours, chances were the door would still be open to visitors.

Hearing raised voices from within, Ekali raised her hand and knocked on the door. The house grew quiet before footsteps approached the door and someone unlocked it. Camilla Valerius was, upon opening, surprised to see a white-furred khajiit in the opening, but none the less she invited the woman in.

"Thank you, I'm Ekali. Sven asked me to give you this and say it was from Faendal," she said and held out the paper to Camilla whom looked through it quickly.

"It seems I'd do best not to choose Sven then," Camilla said and sighed before smiling warmly at Ekali.

"That's all good and well, but to get back to the matter at hand you're not going after those bandits! Not today, tomorrow or even after five years of swordsmanship lessons!" Camilla's brother said with his hands flailing. Giving Ekali an apologetic smile, the Imperial woman turned back to him.

"Then who's going to do it? We can't afford to loose that claw, it's the only heirloom left to us! It's our only insurance if things should go wrong!" Camilla raged at him, and the man's eyes turned to Ekali.

"What about her? She wears armour. What do you say about earning some coin?" he asked Ekali, and Camilla turned to the khajiit again.

"What would I have to do exactly?" the khajiit asked hesitantly.

"Some bandits stole our golden claw. They've taken up refuge in Bleak Falls Barrow, just to the north west of here. We don't know how many there might be, but there might be other creatures there as well. Skeevers of course, and maybe draugr," Camilla answered, and her brother glared at her when she mentioned draugr.

"The draugr are fairy tales," he snapped. "No use in scaring her of is there?"

"What are skeevers and draugr?" Ekali asked with a frown before Camilla could answer.

"Skeevers are huge and hostile rats. Draugr are the walking dead. They're rumored to have served the dragons once," the brother said while looking at the khajiit.

"I'm not unfamiliar with undead. I'll help you." Ekali looked at the two when the man burst into a smile.

"Splendid, absolutely splendid. I'm Lucan Valerius," he said before taking her hand and shaking it.

"Good to meet you Lucan. Now, where is this Barrow located?" Ekali asked, looking at both of them.

"I'll show you in the morning. Do you have a place where you're staying?" Camilla asked and Lucan left the women to go upstairs.

"Yes, I do." With that, they said good bye and the khajiit left to go and get ready for bed. Though she did not regret offering her help, she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that she'd taken on more than she could handle.


	14. 3.1 Into Bleak Falls Barrow

The arrow flew past Ekali's head as she made her way up the slope in the clean snow. She ducked to the side, taking cover behind a rock and looked out and up at the Barrow carefully. Several bandits patrolled outside, and the archer who'd shot at her stood on a small platform that jutted out from the main structure. He hadn't raised the alarm yet, and his friends where too far away to see them.

Pulling out the Imperial bow she'd gotten of one of the soldiers, Ekali stringed it quickly and nocked an arrow that she preceded to aim at the bandit lookout. Another arrow went past her, sticking in the ground a few feet away, and she drew the string back further before releasing the deadly missile.

The bandit went down quietly, falling of the platform into a huge pile of snow beneath. The khajiit made sure no one had noticed his disappearance before leaving the cover of the boulder, and half ran to the steps that would take her to the barrow.

Crouching at the top of the steps, she nocked another arrow and aimed at the closest bandit. This one was walking back and forth across the platform, occasionally leaving the line of sight of his companions. She could see then that all of the bandits wore fur armour just like the one she'd found before they reached Riverwood.

Releasing the arrow, Ekali cursed silently when it clattered on the stone surface just beyond the bandit who turned towards the noise and called out to his companions. Ekali quickly hung the bow over her back, taking a firm grip around the handle of her new great-sword before pulling it out of its sheath. The closest bandit turned and saw her then, and with a snarl he pulled out his rusty axe before rushing at her. Knowing that the small axe would do little against her sword, Ekali placed herself so that she was ready to either deflect it or strike at the bandit depending on the circumstances.

She got little chance to do so however, as a grey blur bounded past her and straight at the bandit. Before the man had a chance to react, the wolf got his jaws around his throat and tore at it. Ekali stood stunned for a moment, merely staring at the animal, but was brought back to the current moment when one of the bandits yelled out.

Leaving her shock for later, the khajiit lowered her sword and went for the next one. A Redguard woman came at her, and Ekali deflected her sword into the hard stone which allowed her to swing at the other woman when she tried to recover. The Redguard took a step back, and clumsily blocked the swing instead of deflecting it. The impact jarred both of them, and so it was that Ekali breathed a sigh of relief when the wolf went past her to attack the man coming up next to the Redguard.

Having recovered more quickly than the other woman, the khajiit brought her sword up again, and though the Redguard tried to block she tripped over the wolf who was fighting the man behind her. Ekali's sword tore through the fur armour and the dark skin with ease, and the Redguard went limp after a few moments of struggling.

Meanwhile, the male wolf skipped out of the way of the man's war hammer with light movements, coming from the side to snap at his knees. The man's hammer wasn't light enough for him to be able to move at the speed of the animal, and he gave a guttural growl when he felt the sharp teeth rip through his flesh in the space between the iron pieces.

He swung his hammer around as he tumbled down and though the wolf quickly got out of the way, the khajiit had no time to react to what happened around her, and so the weapon connected with her left ankle just when the wolf got a hold around the outlaws throat.

When the wolf let go and looked over at the khajiit, she was bent over in pain, clutching at her broken ankle. He whined, not sure what to do, and Ekali made a soothing sound while still focusing on the wound. So the wolf sat back on his haunches, simply tilting his head slightly when the bright light started swirling around the woman.

She stood up after a while, hesitantly putting weight on her left leg, and let out the breath she'd been holding when only a slight pain spiralled up.

"It's not completely fixed, but it'll have to do at the moment." Ekali sighed tiredly, and looked over at the wolf for the first time since he showed up. He stood up again, looking over at her in the bright light before coming up slowly to put his muzzle against her side. "Hi there Gladio." She smiled this time, barely having to crouch to put her arms around him to hold him close. He whimpered and licked her face before resting his head on her shoulder while she put her face in his fur.

They stayed like that for a long time, simply taking comfort from each others presence. Then she pulled back, and Gladio barked happily when she straightened up and picked her sword up from the ground.

Using a legion sign to tell Gladio to follow, she slowly ascended the stone steps to the entrance and pushed the door open.

The dome-like entrance took Ekali's breath away when they stepped in and gazed at the ceiling. Rays of sunlight shone in through the large openings in it, and carving covered the walls. The pillars in the middle obstructed their view, and she stepped to the right of them to see further in.

Stepping back quickly upon seeing the two bandits, she signalled for Gladio to be ready before she took the bow of her back and crouched down where she could see the outlaws. He stood beside her when she rested the bow stave on the floor, nocking an arrow that she aimed at the bandit on the left. He carried a great-axe on his back, and would pose the greatest danger to the wolf when Gladio attacked.

So she took a deep breath, and pulled the arrow back so its feathers grazed her cheek before letting it fly. The man fell forwards, the shaft of the missile buried in his back, and the bandit woman spun on the spot, quickly finding Ekali's white shape. Gladio set of then, just as the outlaw drew her bow, and he pushed her to the floor when he leapt upon her.

Ekali came up to him slowly so as to not make her injury worse, and the wolf turned from the dead bandit to look upon her wonderingly. Smiling, Ekali sat by the fire at which the bandits had been standing, patting the bedroll next to her for Gladio to lie down. As he did so, she closed her eyes and wrapped her hand around her ankle, then a soft light swirled around her as she used her magic to heal it further.

She gazed around the place wearily when she opened her eyes again, before looking back at the wolf.

"You'll stand guard won't you? I need to rest before we continue, and I cannot do so without your help." She put her hand on his head, and he gently held her hand in his mouth before he nodded. Smiling, Ekali sighed and lay down on the bedroll as Gladio stood, walking over to the passage leading to the rest of the barrow.


	15. 3.2 Otherworldly Creatures

The cobwebs stretched from the ground all the way up to the roof in the passageway, and Ekali shivered at the thought of what must have created them. Gladio got stuck with his leg in some of it, and she had to bring out her fletching knife to free him, after which he walked with his tail almost between his legs.

The wolf was whining by the time they heard the panicked calls for help, and the khajiit drew her great-sword before leaning around the next corner. Cobwebs completely covered the archway, and she brought her sword up to slash at them. A growl arose from the wolf as he walked past her when she was finished, treading carefully into the large room. Ekali followed close behind him, sword ready as her eyes swept the room.

As the great creature dropped from the ceiling it shook the ground, and Ekali looked over it with fear when her eyes found the beast. Clapping its mandibles together, the giant spider started forward as Gladio growled at it and circled to the right. He bounded forward and closed his jaws around one of the legs of the insect, from which was heard an audible crunch.

He'd given Ekali just enough time to recover from the shock, and when the spider screeched and turned after the canine, the khajiit came up on the other side and slashed with her blade at one of its legs. The sword almost severed the creatures leg, and it screeched again, realising that the khajiit was the greater threat. It tried to scurry out from in between them, but Gladio got his jaws around another of its legs and pulled. Ekali seeing an opening, evaded the creatures flailing leg, and struck out with her blade to pierce the spiders thick skin.

Several stabs later, she wiped the sticky blood of herself and looked Gladio over to make sure he didn't get hurt. Then she looked towards the back of the room, at a dunmer male hanging suspended by cobwebs in a door opening.

"Help! Get me down! I'll share the treasure with you, just let me down!" he called out when he noticed she was looking at him, and Ekali shook her head in disbelief.

"I'm looking for a golden claw, do you have it?" she asked as she raised her sword and cut at the cobweb. It went rather quickly, and instead of answering her question, the dunmer snarled that she'd never get the treasure, and set of running further in.

Ekali sighed and set of at a steady jog, knowing that he probably wouldn't get far. People's final resting places tended to be littered with traps.

:-:-:-:

The creak of the hinges echoed through the hall and brought Ekali to a stop just when she were about to step out of the hall into the space in which alcoves holding corpses where. The dunmer flew across the room, crashing into the wall to the left of her, and the strange angle of his neck told of the fact that he wouldn't get up on his own.

Before dying, he'd closed his eyes, and the man looked almost peaceful where he lay. If it wasn't for the blood dripping onto the ground, and the way his body bent over a large pile of rubble, she might have thought he was sleeping.

Ekali was brought back to reality when a moan sounded from one of the alcoves, and her eyes went wide when she saw three draugr in the process of getting up. Drawing the great-sword from its scabbard, she signalled for Gladio to stay close, and stepped out onto more level ground where she'd have room to fight.

The first draugr came at them with its axe raised, eyes glowing blue as it swung at her. She deflected the slash easily and having put the grotesque feminine shape of balance, drove the sword through the creatures ribcage, producing a sickening crunch.

Stepping to the side so as to not have the newly dead monster in her way, Ekali brought her sword up so that she could block the incoming hit from the second draugr, while Gladio lunged at the third.

Trying to keep the wolf in her peripheral, she blocked the barrage of chops that the creature tried to kill her with. When it stopped momentarily, she ducked down beneath its guard and struck at its legs while avoiding the reach of the draugr. A thud outside of her view, followed by a sharp clang as metal struck stone, told her that the other one had fallen and soon the wolf was by her side.

Skipping in close to the monstrosity, he took a grip around its leg and pulled it out from under the undead. Ekali took the chance when it had fallen, to bring her sword down into its chest.

Gladio put his head against her leg and she stood up, wiping of the sword on some of the rags that covered one of the draugr. Then she sheathed the blade and walked over to the Dunmer, crouching down next to him. Proceeding to look through his pockets, she found some drakes, a leather-bound journal and an ornament that had to be the golden claw.

She put them away amongst her own things, then arose and turned towards the path she had yet to travel down. A marked stone protruded from the ground, and she could see the spike trap that had killed the Dunmer bandit. She was careful to stay clear of the stone when she walked on, Gladio tight on her heel.

:-:-:-:

Frowning, Ekali tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked at the round door. She wasn't sure of what it was, but she knew that it was the only way forward, and there seemed to be a pattern in its design.

When putting her fingers into the indentures in the middle, she recalled the golden claw, and took it out of her bag. It fit into them, but when she tried to push or turn the circular lock, nothing happened. Ekali took the claw away from the wall to look it over, and noticed the three carvings lined up one after the other on the side that would lay against the door. Looking from the claws carvings to those in a line on the door, she immediately saw the problem. The carvings were in the wrong order. _But how do I change the order?_ In frustration, she put her hand against one of them and found herself jumping backwards when a rumble was heard from the stone, and the carving that she'd touched, together with a part of the door, moved to reveal yet another small carving.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she touched all of the carvings again and watched them move. At which point only one of them was the correct one, so she touched the other two as well, before putting the claw back into the indentations in the middle. This time when she pushed on it, the claw turned on its own, and just after she took it back to put it in her pack she heard the sound of stone grinding against stone. Then the whole door sunk down to reveal a large cavern.

Gladio started forward when Ekali was still busy marvelling over the huge space that was hidden just beneath the the surface of the ground. She followed a few steps after him after a while, and then ducked down when a group of bats came flying past them from a hole in the ceiling that they'd approached.

They heard the sound of flowing water, and soon saw the stream, as well as a large wall further in. She stepped onto the small stone bridge that spanned the stream, and walked slowly up the steps towards the wall and the platform it stood on together with a large coffin and a small counter.

That was when she first heard the sounds. Voices, thousands of voices, whispering at first but growing in volume as she drew nearer to the wall. She was no longer aware of her surroundings when some signs started glowing blue on the wall, and in her mind little else mattered than going closer to it. Then she could see nothing but the glowing word as the voices coalesced into one. _Fus_.

Her sight came back quicker than it had disappeared, and with it came the realisation that the sharp noise she had heard didn't have anything to do with the wall. It came from the coffin behind her.


	16. 3.3 Welcome to Whiterun

The clouds lay thick in the skies above Whiterun hold, and the city lay dormant on the elevated plateau. Farmers, either heading to the market or to harvest their crops, hurried to and fro both within and without the city. Some early risers among the companions sparred in their yard, and in the inn a female redguard swept the floors. A hammer struck metal at the forge by the gate, and lamps were being lit by the shopkeepers.

Only nobility, and the tenants of the inn, stayed in bed longer than 'till seven am. From the windows of the inn, lightning could be seen to the west, cutting down through the clouds and reaching the plains like a knife cutting through butter.

The two shapes coming from the south, from Riverwood, moved at a steady pace along the road. Though the female and the wolf did not hurry, neither were they walking slowly, and they made good progress as Magnus ascended in the sky.

The clock was only minutes away from striking the ninth hour when the female khajiit and her friend reached the city's gate.

One of the guards on duty stopped her by stepping in the way and uttering a snide comment, to which she responded with narrowed eyes that she brought news from Riverwood. The guards expression could not be seen through the helmet, but he stepped aside to let her into the city and she nodded at him with mock gratitude.

Ekali and Gladio arrived at Dragonsreach at noon, just in time to hear the Jarls' discussion with another of his court about the current war. As they approached the throne, the dunmer female nearby saw them and drew her sword before approaching. She wore leather armour and the sword was made of steel.

"What is the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors," the dunmer said with narrowed eyes.

"I'm here because Riverwood calls for the Jarls' aid. What with the dragon up at at Helgen..." Ekali began to say, a frown upon her face.

"Dragon? Well, that explains why the guards let you inside the city. Come on then, the Jarl will want to speak to you personally," the Dunmer female said, interrupting the khajiit. She turned, sheathing her sword, and Ekali followed the woman to the Jarls' seat.

The Jarl looked up when the khajiit and wolf walked up after the dark elf.

"My Jarl, this woman claims to bear word from Riverwood," the dunmer said, gesturing to Ekali, who half-bowed to the Nord before her. He looked at her curiously, gesturing for the other man to be quiet when he made a move to interrupt.

"Very well khajiit, I'll hear your words. What is your name, and what news do you bring?" All eyes were on the khajiit now, she who had captured the Jarl's attention. No one paid much attention to the wolf by her side.

"A dragon attacked Helgen three days ago, and was last sighted heading north towards Riverwood and Whiterun. Now the people living in Riverwood fear for their lives, and they want you to help them," Ekali answered to the blonde nord whose clothing signified his rank.

"What do you say Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?" the Jarl turned to his steward as he said so.

"My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains," the dunmer said, stepping up next to the khajiit.

"The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him! We should not..." this time it was the steward who spoke up.

"Enough!" The Jarl spoke up, looking back at the steward by his side. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughter my people! Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."

"Yes, my Jarl," the woman answered and put her closed hand against her chest as a salute. Then she turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties." The steward looked at his Jarl.

"That would be best," Jarl Balgruuf answered, and the Imperial walked of with his head held high. Then he once again turned his attention to Ekali and her companion. "Well done. You sought me out when you could have turned around and run the other way. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it," he said.

"There is another thing you could do for me," he then continued, a bit hesitantly. "Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps. Come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and... rumours of dragons." The Jarl arose from his chair, and she followed him when he headed towards one of the smaller rooms that where connected to the main hall.

Inside the room there was a long desk, a map stretched onto a portable wall, an enchanters table and an alchemist table. Two doors could be seen on the other side of the room. The Jarl's attention was drawn to the man whom was currently bending over the darkened alchemists table, but who finished up as soon as he could and turned to greet them. He was a breton, something that could only have been guessed at previously thanks to his blue robes.

"Farengar, I think I've found someone who can help you with your dragon project. Go ahead and fill her in with the details," the Jarl said to the man who thanked him before looking the khajiit over. Her fur armour was quite ragged by then, shoes barely holding together by the seams. The travellers pack was obviously improvised and hung with a single strap over her left shoulder next to the great-sword.

"So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Well, I could use someone to fetch something for me," he said and turned to something on his desk. The Jarl left while he was talking. "Well, when I say fetch I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there,"

"What am I fetching, and where can I find it?" Ekali asked with a sigh.

"Straight to the point, eh? No need for tedious hows and whys. I like that. Leave those details to your betters, am I right?" the wizard said, a smirk adorning his otherwise bored face. Ekali's fur bristled, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, but she didn't answer him. Instead she took her pack out when he continued to speak, and looked around in it. "I, ah, learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow - a "Dragonstone", said to contain a map of dragon burial sites. Go to..." He went quiet when he saw her take a stone tablet out of her pack and hold it out for him.

"Is this it?" Ekali then asked with a smirk of her own at the bretons' dumbfounded expression, which although he recovered after a while lasted for a few minutes.

"Yes, it is," he said once he'd recovered his composure, and accepted the stone, laying it down on the desk. "Thank you, I suppose."

"What happens now?" Ekali asked, hoisting the pack onto her shoulder again.

"I do my work, and you... Well, I suppose you'd like to see the Jarl for your reward, hmm? In any case, I need privacy for this." The khajiit nodded, and left the room without further coercion. She walked towards the Jarl on his throne, intending to stop a few feet away and wait for him to acknowledge her. That was not necessary, as the Jarl beckoned for her to step forward as soon as he saw her coming out of the wizard's chambers.

"Are you done with your work already? Well, I suppose I shouldn't complain. You there, fetch the box upstairs!" the Jarl said the last to one of his guards who hurried up the stairs behind them before he turned his attention back to the woman. "I do not have anything else for you to do, though I might call on you if anything comes up. You have after all survived a dragon attack, and that in itself merits some amount of respect. I also have an item for you as payment for the services rendered so far, and I've already sent a runner to the inn keeper to make sure that she gives you a room if she has one." The Jarls words were accompanied by a smile, and moments later the guard came back down with a wooden case.

"The Jarl of Markarth sent me this a few years ago, an expedition that went well I believe. However, I have little use for it, and a bow such as this holds no place in court. I noticed that you carry one made by the Imperials, but I know for a fact that the bows they carry do not come close to the quality of a Forsworn bow." As he spoke, the soldier opened the case for Ekali, and she gently took the slender weapon, eyes wide at the sight of it.

"Thank you, sir," she said and half bowed to him. He nodded back to her, and turned to the steward in what was clearly a dismissal. So Ekali backed up a few steps before turning around and heading out of the palace, feet hitting the ground in a steady rhythm as she made her way to the marketplace. Gladio walked only a step behind, ears peaked at all times.


	17. 3.4 Surprise, Surprise!

It was rather late in the afternoon when Ekali arrived at the tavern together with Gladio after visiting the different shops in the city. Closing the door behind her, she walked up to the bar where the owner was just in the process of wiping of the counter.

"Good day, I'm Hulda. What can I get you?" the woman asked with a smile before looking up. When she did, curiosity seeped into her eyes, and Ekali's ears twitched slightly.

"Hello. I'm Ekali, and I'd like to rent a room for the night. I'd also like to buy a bowl of whatever you've got on the stove, and a cup of mead." Ekali smiled back when Gladio looked around curiously at the patrons of the tavern. Two nords, one a male in iron armour and one woman in plate steel sat on benches drinking. A bard of the same race stood next to the fire pit whilst playing the Age of Aggression, and a female redguard could be glimpsed stirring the pot in the adjoining room.

"Well, you're in luck. As it is I've got one room left. It's at the top of the stairs, first door on the right. Access to the balcony up there, if you'd like to eat alone." Hulda nodded first to the stairs and then to the balcony above them.

"That would be great thank you," Ekali answered with a smile.

"Al right then. I'll send Saadia up with your food if you want to settle in. That'll be twenty drakes," the innkeeper said and smiled. Returning the smile again, the khajiit took the room key from the other woman, handing over twenty drakes from her pouch. Then she and Gladio walked up the steps to the second floor, and into the room she'd just rented.

Ekali dropped her bag in a corner before letting herself fall onto the bed. A few moments later, she could feel it move slightly as Gladio jumped up and lay down next to her.

:-:-:-:

At first, there was no way for Ekali to pinpoint what had woken her, and she lay still. Keeping her breathing steady, the khajiit listened tentatively for any sounds. That's when she felt the slight breeze from the window she'd latched last night, and heard the shallow breathing of another person in the room. _Where_ _'_ _s_ _Gladio?_

Grabbing the hilt of the dagger she'd gotten accustomed to keeping beneath her pillow, Ekali threw herself out of the bed towards the intruder. Having used her night eye spell so she could see the other person, she could still see nothing but a dark silhouette when she aimed the dagger for the intruders' throat. Moments later when she reached the feminine forms' location, she met only air. Then the dagger was wrung out of her hand, her arm put in a deadlock against her back and the only weapon available to her was put against her back. With quick breath and racing heart she froze.

"I wondered when you'd wake up, waiting can be so incredibly dull sometimes," a bored feline voice said before the hands released her, and Ekali stumbled forward, even more surprised than before. "Surprised to hear from me after all these years? Thought I'd abandoned you, huh?" This time the voice chuckled, and Ekali turned around to look upon her mother.

"I abandoned you," the younger khajiit said, frowning whilst the black female took her hood of. Glee and malevolence shone from the eldest eyes.

"You really think I'd have allowed that? Really? You really think you could fool me, don't you?" Brown braid shifting slightly on the back of her head, the mother laughed quietly. "The only ones fooled where those stupid bandits. They came to me afterwards, telling me how very sorry they were to notice you'd gone." Ekali just looked at her, still frowning.

"Oh but we can talk about that some other time, now we need to get the current business over with so you can go to sleep. You've got a long day ahead of you." Dar'Ilthi sat down on the foot of the bed, going through her backpack.

"What are you talking about?" Ekali asked with a sigh and walked up to the window to shut out the cold wind. All the while she could feel her mothers eyes on her back.

"You'll see. One way or another, a lot will change in the days to come, and I won't be there for you. There it is," the black khajiit finished, and Ekali turned around to see her removing a rather large bundle from the pack.

"And what if I don't want you to be there for me?"

"It doesn't matter. Come here now, I want to be sure this fits." With a frustrated noise, Ekali complied and approached her mother whom unwrapped the bundle. "I'm a bit uncertain as to how this is fastened, but it should be enough to protect you," Dar'Ilthi said and held up the cuirass of an unfamiliar silver armour. Blue signs littered it, and in some places a piece of blue glass held the symbol if a dragon.

"Where did you get this?" Ekali asked as she reached down to grasp the helmet, finding it's surface to be completely smooth.

"Family heirloom," Dar'Ilthi answered simply as she took the helmet from her daughters hands and helped her with the armour. Though it took a while, she'd soon managed to dress Ekali in all of the pieces, and the black khajiit drew the younger woman to a mirror that hung in the room.

"It fits you perfectly," the older said with a frown, and Ekali turned around to look upon her.

"What?" she asked of her mother as they stood there, looking into each other's eyes.

"Nothing," Dar'Ilthi answered with a shrug, but that it was a lie was evident to her daughter. So the black female stepped back and picked up her possessions, and without another word she walked past Ekali and climbed out the window. Ekali watched her as she descended the wall of the inn and then fell the remaining distance to the road before she walked back to the bed, removed the armour, and went to sleep.


	18. 3.5 Dragon!

Ekali was in the process of eating a late breakfast when one of the guards burst through the door to the tavern. You could hear the heavy breathing beneath his helmet as his head swung 'round and his eyes landed on her.

"Khajiit, you must come at once. A dragon has been sighted at the western watchtower and the Jarl calls for your help! Irileth is speaking to the guards, you must come!" The man called to her. She almost choked on her food when he uttered the word dragon, but she got to her feet while gesturing for Gladio to follow. The khajiit had already packed her things and equipped her armour in preparation for leaving, so she just had to put on her helmet, strap the great sword over her back, the quiver on her waist next to the short-sword and take hold of the bow.

"Will you take care of my things for me?" she asked of the innkeeper who nodded dumbly and caught her travellers pack when she preceded to throw it. Then Ekali ran after the guard who'd already walked out.

"Down to the farms and then to the right, you can't miss it!" he called after her as she ran past with a hurried thank you. The wolf lengthened his stride until he was next to her, and then he fell into her pace.

Everyone watched the two of them as they rushed down the street. Some merely held surprise in their eyes, while some showed contempt. Nevertheless, all of them kept out of her way, and soon Ekali and her canine friend closed on the city gates.

Two guards were just pushing the gate closed when she came running, so they stopped in their endeavour and instead pushed it open just enough for her to get out. The khajiit nodded to them as she ran through, and then she was on the path leading from the city down to the farms.

Irileth and the guards came within her sight when she reached the stables, and she'd caught up with them by the time they reached the last of the farms before the guard tower. Though there was still some distance left for them to traverse, they could see the flames licking the sky from the tower, and part of the ramp leading to it lay in ruins. Aside from that the place looked quiet, yet Ekali knew that it couldn't be the case.

As they approached the watchtower, a man carefully walked out of the base of it. He had a ragged appearance. The cuirass was charred around the edges, and he'd discarded his helmet, showing a face that was covered in soot. His eyes looked frantic as they scanned the sky and then landed on the people whom were approaching.

"Get back! It'll return any minute now!" he shouted at them, and as if in answer a roar was heard from the mountains just to the south. Then a great shape dislodged from the shadow of the mountain, and they could all see its size as it closed in on them.

"Thurri du hin sille ko Sovngarde! _Y_ _ol_ _Toor_ _Shul!_ _"_ Fire flew from the dragons maw at the soldiers, and they ducked down behind the ruins of the tower. Ekali drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it as the dragon came around again, stopping too hover over them. She let the arrow loose at the same time as several of the guards fired theirs, and when several of them pierced the skin of the dragon it roared.

" _Fus_ _Ro!_ " the dragon roared and Ekali was thrown of her feet, landing on her back a few paces away. Grunting, she took hold of the bow that had flown from her hand, and pushed herself to her feet. By the time she got up, enough arrows had pierced the beasts wings that he had to land, and it was with a heavy heart that the khajiit watched as Gladio flew at the creature.

"You are brave. Balaan hokoron. Your defeat brings me honour." Though the beast snapped his jaws at the wolf, he could not catch him, and soon turned his eyes on the khajiit who was just nocking another arrow. She pulled the string taught, but had no time to release it before the dragon once again opened his mouth to Shout.

" _Yol Toor Shul_!" Fire covered her the next second, and it was all she could do to close her eyes and hold onto the bow. It took a few seconds before Ekali realised that the fire was barely hurting her, and she opened her eyes to see her armour glowing a faint orange, the tell-tale sign of the resist fire enchantment. Surprised, she stood there until the fire stopped and she could see the dragon again. Then, having lowered the bow when the fire washed over her, Ekali raised it and released the arrow into the still open jaws of the beast.

It roared in surprise when the arrow met it's target and he could see Ekali's seemingly unharmed form. Then a sword pierced it from the side, and the beast threw it's head up in anguish.

"Dovahkiin, no!" it roared before the last power seeped from it's bones and the head crashed into the ground a few feet from Ekali. Not paying much attention to the creatures words, the khajiit skipped out of the way and bent down to recover her breath.

Then something that she had not expected happened. When the dragon finally lay still, some of its scales started glowing a fiery orange, and it's skin burst into flames just as a flowing light began to swirl around it.

"Stay back!" She could hear one of the soldiers shout, and stumbled backwards to get away from the odd phenomenon. The light flowed towards her, surrounding her until she couldn't see anything of the things around her. And then the voices began again. The same ones as at the wall, but another as well. _Mirmulnir_. Suddenly, she knew the name of the dragon they'd slain. But the voices veered from the name until all of them uttered a single word just as the light eased up. _Fus_. The word seemed to grow within her as the light went out completely, and then her mouth opened of its own accord.

" _Fus_!" The dragons skeleton shifted away from her slightly when the shock wave escaped her lips, and Ekali clamped her hands over her mouth as she stumbled to her knees, but was forced to put them in front of her for stability.

Gladio was that first to move. He walked up to her after a few minutes, put his head on her shoulder, and then licked her face as if to say that it would be okay. The female moved one of her hands to the fur on his head, and after a while she was able too look him in the eyes. Then she saw one of the Whiterun guards approaching her.

"I... I can't belive it... You... you are dragonborn..." The man managed to get out of his mouth with much stuttering. The other guards moved to stand closer as he spoke, and it took a while for Ekali to find her tongue again.

"Dragonborn? What do you mean, what's that?" she said, finally able to get on her feet with the aid of the wolf who also turned his head to look upon the Nord.

"In the very oldest tales, back from when there still were dragons in Skyrim, the Dragonborn would slay them an steal their power. Isn't that what you did? You absorbed it's power?"he managed to say, though his eyes were still wide with shock. Ekali looked around briefly at the other guards before turning her gaze to him again.

"I... I don't know," she managed to answer him.

"You must be. You just shouted, only the dragonborn can do that without training," the guard said to answer her.

"Dragonborn? What are you talking about?" another guard said and Ekali turned her head to him. He looked confounded, and just as shocked as the rest of them.

"But I don't need a dragonborn. Someone who can put down a dragon is more than enough for me," Irileth said, causing the khajiit to look at her instead. The dark elf had crossed her arms across her leather clad chest and was looking at the guardsman who'd called Ekali dragonborn.

"You wouldn't understand, housecarl. You ain't a Nord," the guard said to answer her, at which the dunmer female's eyes narrowed.

"I've been all across Tamriel. I've seen plenty of things just as outlandish as this," she snapped at him. "I'd advise you all to trust in the strength of your sword arm over tales and legends." Just as she finished speaking, the earth shook as a word reached their ears.

" _Dovahkiin_!" Several voices at once, uttering the one word, causing the world to shake like an earthquake had come upon them.

When the ground on which they stood was once again still, Ekali looked up to see that al eyes were on her. Some looked awed while others did not seem to know what to do with the information they'd gained. There were some mutterings, and then Irileth spoke up.

"Whatever this all means, you should go report to the Jarl. We'll stay here and try too clear the area," she said to Ekali, who nodded and forced her feet to move against the city of Whiterun. All noices could not be kept from her ears though, and so the last thing she heard before arriving in the city was;

"The Greybeards. They're calling the Dragonborn to High Hrothgar!"


	19. 3.6 How Could a Khajiit Be Dragonborn?

Ekali was steps away from entering Dragonsreach when the doors were pushed open by the guards inside and the Jarl's brother, Hrongar, walked out.

"There you are! Come, my brother wishes to know what happened. By the divines, I imagine all of us wants to know," the man said and put a hand on her shoulder to lead her inside. The guards looked at her with wonder as the two walked past. Then they were walking up the steps and past the tables to stop before the Jarl in his seat. His eyes had caught her lithe form mere moments after they entered, and now they were lit by anticipation of what she would reveal.

"What happened at the watchtower? My sentries have only told me that the beast is slain," the Jarl said. The steward stood by his right side, and Ekali had seen Farengar at the door opening to his chambers, looking at her, when they entered. The guards weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were listening. The time in which Ekali took to notice all of this amounted to only a few seconds, so there wasn't a very long time before she spoke.

"The watchtower was in ruins when we got there. Only one of the original guards still lived, and he barely had time too warn us before the dragon showed up again. There wasn't ever much time to see what the others were doing, but we managed to defeat the beast, and then... Then I absorbed some kind of power from it. One of the guardsmen called me dragonborn." Her brow was furrowed by the time she finished, and Hrongar's head bowed up and down absent-mindedly as if though something he'd been thinking had just been confirmed. The steward was as expressionless as ever, while the Jarl had leant back in his chair.

"Then it's true. The Greybeards were calling for the dragonborn. For you," he said and looked at her. All eyes were on her then, as people all around the room wondered what the Jarl was thinking. Only Hrongar still looked at his brother.

"But how? How could a khajiit be dragonborn?" he said, aghast. Several others in the hall seemed to be thinking the same thing, as many of the guards turned their eyes to their feet so as to not risk looking Ekali in the eyes.

"I doubt anyone can understand the will of the divines, be they man, mer or beast. We should be happy that there is a dragonborn at all," Jarl Balgruuf said, looking pointedly at his brother. Hrongar opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again and turned his eyes to the floor. Jarl Balgruuf waited a few seconds before he sighed and turned his eyes to the dragonborn.

"Discussions about the will of the divines will have to wait for later. Dragonborn, as a token of my gratitude for saving this city, I name you Thane of Whiterun and give you permission to purchase a house within the city. Speak with Proventus to make the arrangements. As to the title of Thane, it is mostly an honorary title, except that you get your personal housecarl, and a weapon to serve as your badge of office." A soldier brought forth an axe when he said this, and Ekali stood stunned for a moment before she took it from the soldiers hands and remembered that she should respond.

"Thank you, my Jarl," she said and bowed. The Jarl nodded to her when she looked up again.

"You should visit the Greybeards as soon as possible, it is a temendous honour to receive their summons. An honour that should not be taken lightly. But for tonight I insist that you stay at our guest quarters," he preceded to say, and was just turning to his steward when the khajiit spoke again.

"Excuse me, Jarl Balgruuf. But I do not know who these Greybeards are, nor where to find them," she said, where upon the few eyes that weren't already watching her started doing so.

"Of course. My brother will tell you everything you need to know. Now, Proventus, we must plan the festivities." As the Jarl turned to his steward, Hrongar tensed visibly, but told Ekali to follow. When the two walked towards the doors, most people turned their attention to the Jarl. Most, but not all. The khajiit could see children and servants looking at her from the balcony above. From the expressions on their faces they'd watched all of it.

Hrongar and Ekali emerged into bright sunlight, and she had to put up a hand to shield her eyes. He continued on without stopping, ignoring the looks of the guards who stood watch on the way too and from Dragonsreach. Turning left at the top of the stairs, he then stopped at a spot that gave a nice view of the city and the plains outside it.

"What festivities was the Jarl speaking of?" Ekali asked when she caught up and stood next to the Nord. He glanced at her and raised his eyebrows.

"To celebrate the death of the dragon, to celebrate that you've come," Hrongar answered her and turned his gaze back at the city. That the khajiit was dragonborn was still hard for him to grasp. Yet he'd say nothing of the matter, since his brother clearly disliked it. She was silent for a while, and he started to wonder whether he should speak again.

"Who are these Greybeards that people are talking about then?" she asked before he had the chance of doing so, and he contemplated how to phrase his explanation.

"The Greybeards are the masters of the Voice, or the Thu'um. Shouting, it's also called. They've lived atop the Throat of the World in High Hrothgar for as long as anyone can remember." He pointed towards the high peak which they were facing, almost directly above the city, as he told her of the Throat of the World. "They rarely interfere with the rest of the world, and instead study the Voice, and hone it. They don't care much for war and politics, thinks the Voice is a power that should not be used to cause death, and maybe they're right. But to battle the dragons we need to use their own weapons against them. Talos Stormcrown studied with the Greybeards, as did Ulfric Stormcloak, though Ulfric isn't dragonborn. You'd be wise to show them respect when you're there." He turned to her for the first time since they'd left the throne-room.

"What exactly does it mean to be dragonborn?" Ekali asked, ignoring the cold look that he gave her, before he once again turned to look at the city.

"Well, for one you don't have to study the voice for decades to learn a few words. You can take dragon souls, and by doing so you also gain some of their knowledge. Some people with the dragonblood have been known to see the future. You'll also live longer, unless someone kills you of course. Since dragonborn's often gets in the middle of things, that's usually what happens," he said with a shrug. Ekali shivered at the thought. _Seeing_ _the_ _future?_ _I_ _can't_ _have,_ _can_ _I?_

Hrongar glanced down at her to see her brows furrowed, and though her eyes were pointed towards the city, she didn't look as if though she was actually seeing anything. He frowned when he saw it.

* * *

Ekali took a deep breath before she began descending the stairs, her mind still circling the happenings of the day. The dress that hung loosely around her body also covered most of it, with long arms and the hem by the ankles. The collar fitted snugly around her throat, and at times it almost felt as if though it'd strangle her. One of Dragonsreach's servants had found it for her, and though it wasn't one of the most comfortable articles of clothing Ekali had worn in her life, she was grateful that she didn't have to find anything herself. And when the other woman had inquired as to whether the khajiit had anything which could be used to adorn her head, Ekali has been proud to say that she had a circlet in her pack. Upon finding the circlet to be of copper and moonstone, the old woman had sighed and proclaimed that "it'll have to do".

So it was that Ekali was about to attend to a feast with upper-class humans in a blue and white dress, and an old circlet that she'd picked up in a barrow. The largest celebrations she'd taken part in before had only consisted of taking a few mugs of mead with the other soldiers, and guarding nobles in the Imperial city. As such, Ekali had only a faint idea of how she was supposed to behave.

As her doeskin shoes touched the floor of the Great hall, a sudden silence fell over the room when everyone turned to see her. Pausing momentarily, Ekali fought the sudden urge to flee and took another breath before she walked up to the Jarl who stood a short distance away. He'd been talking to a male high elf when Ekali came down, but now the Altmer said something to the Jarl and walked away before she could see his face properly.

"Ah, there you are. Come, I'll introduce you to the city's nobility," the Jarl said when she came closer, and it was with great relief that she noted that most of the people in the room had taken their eyes of her. Still, the atmosphere was tense in the room, and it was obvious that none of them had had much contact with any khajiiti before.

She walked next to the Jarl as they then made their way around the room, exchanging pleasantries with the upper class. Though she did not remember nearly all of the names afterwards, some of them were repeated enough times for them to etch themselves into Ekali's brain. The clans Battle-Born and Gray-Mane being two of them. One man, a Redguard named Nazeem, tried to capture the Jarls attention several times. However Jarl Balgruuf quickly switched direction upon spotting him.

So Ekali found it quite peculiar not to be introduced to the one elf- aside from Irileth- who was present in the room, and decided to question the Jarl about the matter.

"Who is the man you were speaking with when I came downstairs, my Jarl?" Ekali asked when the two of them were alone the next time, and the Jarl looked quite startled.

"Oh him. Of course, you wouldn't know him, having just come to Skyrim. I'm so used to seeing him that I couldn't ever imagine someone not having met him. The Altmer calls himself Sorcalin, he's been around as long as anyone can remember. My father introduced him to me. I doubt there's anyone of importance in Skyrim whom he haven't met, except you of course. Perfect gentleman, and he owns a house out in the Rift. Though now that I think about it, I have never found out how he earned all of that money, or where he came from," the Jarl answered her as the two looked towards the high elf who was standing on the other side of the room.

"Would you introduce me to him, sir?" Ekali asked then, still looking at Sorcalin. Though she'd never be able to pinpoint exactly what made her wish to speak to him that first time, she had noticed that he was the only person who didn't seem the slightest bit hostile towards her, apart from the Jarl himself.


	20. 3.7 Aka

The Jarl and the khajiit had to move slowly across the hall since many wished to discuss business of different kinds with the Jarl. Though he told them to talk with Farengar, or to wait until the next morning, their passing was delayed quite a bit.

They saw his eyes was upon them when the two were but two meters away, and he bowed to each of them in turn when they stopped in front of him.

"Jarl Balgruuf. Aka," he said when he did so, first to the Jarl and then to Ekali, meeting their eyes with his green ones. Balgruuf gave a small bow in reply, and Ekali made an awkward curtsey.

"Sorcalin. This is Ekali, the dragonborn," Balgruuf the Great said and gestured for the khajiit who stepped forward half a step.

"Oh I know. A pleasure, truly," he said as he took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. She watched him quietly as he did so, before looking at the Jarl who'd cleared his throat.

"Now I must get back to the rest of my guests, if you'll excuse me," he said, not really caring for the answer. Sorcalin merely nodded and smiled again.

"Of course, my Jarl," Ekali said and curtsied, causing a slight rustle from her dress. When the Nord had walked away, she once again turned to the Altmer whom had taken to looking at her. He raised a cup she hadn't seen before to his lips and drank the last of its contents before putting it on a nearby table. They stood so for a few minutes, simply looking at each other.

"What was that you called me?" Ekali asked after a while, causing Sorcalin to raise his eyebrows.

"Aka? It means dragon in aldmeris, you are a dragon after all," he answered and an amused smile played on his lips. She looked back at him in surprise before answering.

"You speak aldmeris?" she said and he smiled at her.

"Some," was his simple answer, before he cast a look over the room. "Very stuffy in here, wouldn't you say? Why don't we head outside for a little while." Holding his arm out to her, Sorcalin turned towards the doors.

"Why would we do that?" the khajiit asked instead of taking the offered arm, and the Altmer cast another look around. Then he sighed and looked at her.

"Because at least half of the room is trying to hear what we're saying, and I'd rather talk uninterrupted. I'm not **that** fond of etiquette," he said with raised eyebrows, and this time it was Ekali's turn to look around the room. Most people quickly turned away from her when she did so, but several kept looking in their direction. The female khajiit frowned, but turned and took the Altmer's proffered arm, whereupon they walked at a normal pace to the doors of the great hall and stepped out on the perch overlooking the city outside Dragonsreach.

"So, how does Skyrim greet you? I'd imagine it's quite a change to live in Tamriel for the whole of ones life and then be sent to such an unfriendly place as Skyrim," the Altmer said once she'd released his arm and they stood a few feet apart on the walkway.

"It's a beautiful place, though the people doesn't seem to like khajiit much. Wait, how did you know that I've lived in Tamriel my whole life?" She frowned at him when she finished, unsettled by his revelation. _What else does he know?_

"It's my business to know things, and when I found out that someone new were coming to Skyrim, I had to know more about the person in question. Though I had no idea that you were dragonborn," Sorcalin said with a nod and smile in her direction.

"Are you one of the Thalmor?" she asked, frowning, and he chuckled as he thought it over.

"Whatever made you think that? No, I'm not with them, wouldn't be if they'd covered all of the universe with their lies. Nothing good could possibly come from them," he said, and sighed near the end.

"So where are you from?" Ekali asked with another frown, and he looked away from her towards the doors to the great hall. Then he sighed before answering.

"I believe that will have to wait for another time, my lady. I am not the only one who wishes to speak with you, it would seem," he said as he turned his gaze to her again, and Ekali gave him a confounded look before turning her eyes to the doors. Hrongar was walking towards them, having just left the confines of the fire-lit hall. His expression was that of grudging determination, and his eyes met Sorcalin's when he stopped before them.

"Could I have a word with the dragonborn, in private?" the Nord asked, and the high elf answered with a curt nod.

"Of course, I was just leaving in any case," he said and turned to the khajiit once more. "We'll meet again, don't worry." And with a smile he turned from them and walked in the opposite direction of Dragonsreach, towards the city. Hrongar's eyes followed him for a few moments before he turned to Ekali whom was eyeing him expectantly.

"I've come to ask for your forgiveness. It was wrong of me to judge you when you've not yet done anything to deserve my scorn, and for that I'm sorry," he said as his eyes sought the ground and he shuffled his feet.

"I accept your apology," the woman answered, and he looked up at her with a frown. It looked for a while as if though he'd say something, but then his face changed, and he sighed.

"Dinner will be taken soon, if you would care to join us?" he said, and she nodded absent-mindedly.

"Of course." So she followed him into the hall when he turned, and spent the rest of the night in the company of Nords before she headed of to bed.

:-:-:-:-:

_Finding herself standing before the word-wall in the gloom, Ekali turned when she heard the sound of metal against metal and Gladio's growl behind her. A draugr was in the process of rising from the large coffin on the small plateau in front of her, and she drew her great-sword to be ready for him as Gladio circled around the creature in her direction._

_It's hollow eyes glowed blue in the pale light that fell on them from above, and they landed on her as the draugr took a hold around the edges of the coffin and pushed himself out of it. Gladio's growl increased in volume as it did so._

_Finally free from the confines of the coffin, the draugr drew a waraxe and readied a frost spell in his left hand before approaching the khajiit and her companion. She tensed, ready to dodge whenever he would prepare to cast the spell._

_Gladio struck the first blow, bounding within the draugr's guard quickly to clamp his jaws down around the creature's wrist, and it gave of an unholy scream in anger as it threw the animal of it. Then it turned to the woman again, and met her great-sword head on with his axe as he reached the end of the plateau._

_The creature flung an ice spike towards her, and the khajiit female skipped out of the way just as Gladio came up behind the monster and forced it down onto the ground. The woman made to cut into the draugr with her great-sword, but it cast another ice-spike that connected with her left arm and forced her to drop the sword._

_Taking her short-sword in her right hand, Ekali took a fighters stance when the creature managed to get to its feet again, growling all the while._

_"Dir!" It called and rushed at her, axe held high. Then Gladio bounced in again, and took it's legs out from under it. The creature crashed into the floor, it's axe lodged in its chest. Still, the draugr made to get up, so the khajiit walked up to it and stuck her short-sword into its chest again and again, until the eerie light in its eyes no longer glowed._


	21. Dezhahnu 1

A cold wind gracing her face caused the khajiit to open her eyes, and she stumbled backwards after taking in her surroundings but was brought to a stop by the rock-wall a foot behind her. She stood on a ledge that was a few feet wide, overlooking the northern part of Skyrim from above the clouds, and her heart beat frantically as she looked around for a way to get out of there.

Then a rumbling chuckle reverberated through the air, and a dragon came into her view, perched as he was on an odd pillar a short distance away. Though Ekali dared not believe it, she knew as soon as she saw him what his name was, and stared at him in shock.

"Mirmulnir?" She blinked a few times, reluctant to believe the fact that the dragon she'd killed herself sat in front of her.

"Drem Yol Lok Dovahkiin. As I recall it, we were never properly introduced. I am Mirmulnir. Your inner mind is, amusing, I think," the dragon said and bowed his head to her. The woman was startled by his willingness to speak, but dared to dislodge herself from the wall to see him better.

"My name is Ekali. What do you mean when you refer to my inner mind? Where are we?" she asked, looking around once again. Stars covered the sky above her, and though her sight was mostly hid by clouds beneath, she could see the faint outline of buildings. It was with a start that she realised that the river going by far beneath them was the White River, and that the cluster of buildings was Whiterun.

"Then I greet you Ekali Do Strunmah Diin. And that is where we are, your inner mind. Everything in our close presence, is here because you wish it. Though I wonder why that is here, Nau Monahven," Mirmulnir said, and she looked at him.

"My inner mind... What would happen if I fell of the mountain?" Ekali asked him.

"You would loose it, your inner mind. Or go mad, as you mortals say. Nothing here can affect your mortal body. No, injuries that are sustained here, they will affect your mind. So tread carefully, briinah." The woman looked at him in shock, and looked at her surroundings with a completely different view.

"How do I get away from here?" Her voice shook as she spoke, and the dragon sighed as he cast his gaze against the horizon.

"By no choice that is yours, Dovhakiin. You will wake when the sun rises, or when someone wakes you in the living world," then he looked at her, and she sunk down on the ledge as dread filled her body.

:-:-:-:-:

When the moons had shifted slightly on the sky, and Mirmulnir had circled the mountain a few times to see the magnitude of the dreamscape, the khajiit stood up again to speak with the dragon. He perched on the pillar when he saw her new stance.

"So, have you any idea of what to do, briinah?" the dragon spoke to her, and she furrowed her brow. A light snowfall had begun a while ago, and so a light dusting of white covered her armour. She brushed it of her face before she spoke to him.

"Is there any way for me to get higher up the mountain, or make this ledge larger?" she asked, causing a smile to come upon the dragons face. She frowned when she saw it, and stepped back towards the cliff wall.

"I wondered when you'd begin to ask the right questions. Zu'u ahst hin ahmik, dovahkiin. Come," he said and flapped his wings so that he left the pillar and came to be just next to Ekali. She flinched when she realized what he intended.

"You want me to ride on your back?" she burst out, and the hunter chuckled.

"There's little else to do, briinah," he answered and held himself as close to the ledge as he could. Still, it was quite a distance between the two of them, and the khajiit was doubtful of whether she could make the jump to his back. Taking a deep breath, she took the few steps she could quickly and threw herself across the open space that laid between her and the dragons' neck.

Wide eyed and gasping for air, she seated herself with one leg on each side of the dragons neck. And when Mirmulnir was certain that she wouldn't fall, he flapped his wings faster to carry them forwards and upwards through the air. She clung to his scales for dear life as the two ascended, and looked down against her better judgment. The khajiit female whimpered as she saw the ground far beneath them, causing a chuckle to issue from the dragons' maw. He beat his wings harder against the chill air, and ascended at a sharper angle.

"Haalgron hau Golgronfron! You do not want to follow Pelagius!" the dragon called out to her, just as a cold wind hit them and caused him to veer to the left, so that the khajiit leaned away from the mountain. She gasped in surprise and clung even harder to his scales, squeezing her eyes shut so as to not see the danger beneath them. Then, a few moments afterward, her body shook as Mirmulnir touched down on a large plateau on top of the mountain. "Aam, nid Monahven."

"Golgronfron?" he asked, puzzled, after a little while of looking at her where she clung on his back. Then she opened her eyes wide and drew in a ragged gasp, causing a smile to come upon the dragon's eyes. The air was colder at their present location than on the ledge earlier, so the khajiit shuddered slightly when she finally managed to move of the dragon. "Cold, briinah?" he asked with a chuckle, and she threw a glare at him, but walked a few steps away and the stomped her feet a bit to get back the feeling in her feet.

"I'll get used to it," she muttered before she turned back to him, and this time she was the one who looked puzzled. "What was it you called me? Brina, and that other longer word," she continued, and Mirmulnir chuckled as he folded his wings in properly.

"It is my language, our language. You are dov too, but in different way. Briinah is sister. Perhaps not from same female, but sister none the less. Golgronfron is the name you have been given by us, the rest of the dov. You are kin, but bound to earth. This Golgronfron means," he answered in that slow way that she'd started to become accustomed to. Ekali frowned when he'd finished speaking.

"What do you mean with my being kin? And what's dov?" she asked, and the dragon tilted his head slightly, like a curious dog would sometimes. He had a very ponderous expression upon his face.

"You are kin, this I know. It is all I need to tell you. Do you want to know specifics? Then ask Alduin, he should know. The name was his idea. We are dov. I am dovah, and all dovahhe together is dov. You are not dovah, but dov none the less."

"Alduin?" If anything, the woman only looked more confused than earlier, and the dragon would, if he'd been able to, probably have furrowed his brow.

"You will meet Alduin. Not now, but soon. He is curious about you." Having said that, the dragon seemed contempt, and smiled at her again. Ekali opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again with a sigh.

"Would you teach me the dragon language?" She asked instead, though she didn't hold much hope that her request would be accepted. He looked thoughtful for a minute as his eyes covered the landscape around them.

"Yes, I will. Zu'u sizaan het, nid filok. It could be amusing, perhaps." He nodded to reinforce his words, and looked back at the khajiit. Snow was once again covering most of her armour. She seemed to remember something then, and open her mouth to speak about it.

"Earlier, in the air, you said that I do not want to follow Pelagius. What did you mean by that?" A grim smile showed on the dragon's face when she'd said it.

"Pelagius III, Pelagius the mad. So he is and was called. He fell of height in his dezhahnu, or so Zeymah said. You do not want to be mad, so you do not want to fall. And hence you do not wish to follow Pelagius," Mirmulnir stated matter-of-factually.

"Pelagius the mad was dragonborn?" Ekali asked with wide eyes and disbelief shining from every part of her body.

"Yes, his dezhahnu began though he had not absorbed a dragon-soul, and so he had no one to tell him of the dangers," the dragon said and laid down in the snow. Ekali who had nothing more to say, sat down as well, to ponder the things that she'd learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've found nothing that indicates that Pelagius was dragonborn, except that he's related to Tiber Septim. This fact, and the part about the dragonborn coming to some kind of dreamscape when he or she sleeps, are both completely made up by me.
> 
> Translation for everything that Mirmulnir says in the dragon language in this chapter:
> 
> Do Strunmah Diin – of the Frozen Heights (lit. of mountain freeze)
> 
> Nau Monahven – On the Throat of the World
> 
> Briinah – Sister
> 
> Zu'u ahst hin ahmik, dovahkiin – I am at you service, dragonborn
> 
> Haalgron hau – Hold on ("Haalgron" is lit. "hand bind")
> 
> Aam, nid Monahven – Hmm, no Throat of the World
> 
> Golgronfron – lit. Earth bind kin. Used by dragons that acknowledge her as their kin, though they pity the fact that she can't fly, which means she's bound to the ground.
> 
> dov – dragonkind
> 
> dovah – dragon
> 
> dovahhe – dragons
> 
> Zu'u sizaan het, nid filok – I am lost here, no escape.
> 
> Dezhahnu – lit. fate dream, used to refer to the place that every dragonborn visit when they sleep, after their powers have been activated. Fate, since a lot of the point of being dragonborn is to slay dragons, and since it's after they've slain their first dragon that the dreams begin. There are exceptions to when the dreams begin, hence Pelagius the mad.
> 
> Zeymah – brother


	22. 4.1 Elsweyr Fondue And Bread

The light snowfall carried on a slight wind began in the late morning, a while after Ekali and Gladio had left the city of Whiterun. Their steps took them on the road north of the Throat of the World, the running water shutting out all other noises in the beginning before the road separated more from the river. Nothing stopped their passing, indeed few living creatures could be seen along the road, except the occasional elk and hare. Salmon climbed up the river, and birds of different kinds flew overhead. Yet the woman did not see her surroundings.

While the wolfs' nose was on the road, investigating every rock and bush that they came across, the khajiits' eyes were gazing of into the distance. She absent-mindedly fingered the hilt of her short-sword as dozens of thoughts churned in her mind, causing the frown that adorned her face. In the city she'd gotten her hands on a better bag, one made of the pelt of a snow bear, as well as a couple of pouches to fasten around her waist. She used them now, as they travelled down the road.

Her ears flicked suddenly forward as two towers, a stone bridge spanning the distance between them, appeared before them, and she took her gaze from the horizon to see what was going on beneath it. A caravan had almost completely passed the towers, but now people were sending arrows raining down upon the rear and the caravan guards, both mounted and on foot, were fighting a small melee force on the ground.

Suddenly back in the present, Ekali gestured for the wolf to follow her closely as she burst into a sprint, taking the forsworn bow of her back. When she where a small distance away from the caravan, the khajiit stopped and called for Gladio to aid the guards in their fight as she fitted an arrow to the string and aimed at one of the bandits standing on the bridge. Her companion needed no further instructions as he flung himself at an Imperial in leather armour, easily getting his jaws around the marauders throat since the male had his back to the two of them. The woman paid no further attention to the wolf as she focused her attention on the archer, and let loose the arrow.

The loud splash as the bandit hit the water alerted the other archers to her presence, and a few of them switched their focus, forcing Ekali to take cover behind a boulder not to be turned into a pincushion. Hearing several arrows scatter against the ground where she'd been previously, the khajiit drew another arrow before she left cover, and quickly aimed in on one of the bandits before releasing it. She continued like that until all the bandits on the bridge had either fallen into the river or retreated into the towers. Then she shouldered the bow and drew her great-sword, turning her attention to the caravan guards whom had almost defeated the bandits. The drivers of the wagons had managed to move them a bit further away.

With a last cry out, one of the bandits fell, and the rest turned tail and fled into the tower. Gladio threw himself at the legs of the last one, forcing him to the ground in a tumble of iron and fur, and the khajiit felt a sting of fear course through her as the warrior turned to strike at the animal. The wolf however, quickly bounded out of his way, allowing one of the others to strike the killing blow. Then he gave a soft sound and trotted up to Ekali to put his head against her side, having felt her fear.

She released the sword with one of her hands and used it to stroke his bloodstained fur. Then her eyed turned to the guards of the caravan, most of which she now noticed were khajiits. They looked at the two curiously, and had not yet sheathed their weapons because of the bandits close proximity. Ekali took a deep breath and walked up to them, Gladio turning to follow close by her side. One of the khajiits, a male wearing steel armour, stepped forward to meet her.

"You have a good eye, and the wolf is a fine fighter. I am Do'Rak, and I am in charge of those who guard this caravan. It is unusual to meet another khajiit in these lands, and when the threat has been eliminated, we would be pleased if you would share our fire," the male said and nodded to her, glancing towards the towers occasionally.

"I am Ekali. Are you going in after them?" she answered him, gesturing to the tower with a nod of her head. The rest of the guards were standing a few feet of, watching the entry to the stone buildings while they were waiting for their leader to finish speaking with the newcomer.

"Yes, we do not have far to travel until we reach the camp-site, and if we do not take care of them now there is a chance they'll attack us tonight." The male turned from her then to issue orders to the others, and she sheathed her great-sword again, taking out the bow and moving within sight of the bridge between the two towers. About twelve people guarded the caravan, and eight of those now stood at the base of the tower while the rest stayed with the wagons. She knew she'd only be in the way if she headed into the stone building with the others.

The caravan guards formed up two and two. First there were two wielding heavy armour, large shields and sword or mace, behind them another two had taken out their short-bows and stringed them. The following four held their weapon of choice, and three of them were clad in leather armour. Then the group moved in unison into the tower as Ekali watched them.

Turning her attention to the bridge again, the woman put an arrow to the bow-string and waited as Gladio sat down by her side. After only a few moments, she heard the clashing of steel from the tower and then the clanking of iron against stone as someone fell down the stairs. She winced when a loud crack sounded through the air. Not soon after a bandit backed out onto the bridge, drawing her bow taught, and Ekali merely waited a moment to assure that no-one was coming out after her before knocking her own arrow and releasing it at the human marauder.

A battle-cry was heard, and an orc wearing steel armour fell of the top of the tower, landing with a crash on the rocky shore of the river. The fur of a tail flickered into sight briefly at the top, but then rushed back down to the floor just beneath where the opening of the bridge was. Then the eight guards emerged onto the bridge in the same formation as before, and she could see those who wore shields raise them as arrows flew from the other side of the river. The female khajiit stayed still as she did not know if she could hit the bandits from that far away, and instead watched the others as they covered ground slowly but securely.

Every now and then the archers in the group would peek out behind the shields and fire an arrow each before once again ducking in behind the other warriors. Then as a group of marauders rushed out of the opposing tower, the two warriors in the front fell to one knee, allowing the two archers to shoot above their heads at the hostile men. As soon as the arrows were fired, causing a few of the bandits to stagger, the warriors once again stood up and met their enemies head on. It was an effective strategy, and showed perfectly well the advantages one could have when working with a group. Ekali herself had taken part in similar strategies during her time with the legion.

She kept her bow close at hand as she waited for the warriors to finish with the bandits, ears peaked in case anyone would sneak up on her. Soon she could see the group walking leisurely back across the bridge, and she put her bow back on her back, moving closer to the base of the tower.

When the caravan guards came out through the bottom door, Ekali was there to greet them. Most of them continued on past her with nothing more than a nod, to help get the caravan moving again, but Do'Rak walked up to her instead.

"I hope you will let me live up to my earlier promise," the male said with a smile, gesturing for her to walk with him after the caravan that started moving right then.

"I'd be glad to do so," she answered him and smiled faintly as they fell into step next to each other, Gladio taking up the rear. The merchants' caravan continued until after they'd crossed the border into Eastmarch, though Do'Rak did not walk with their guest for long.

:-:-:-:

The sun's setting found them camped by the river further across the border of the hold. Ekali had just finished cleaning up by the river and was heading to the camp-fire, and Gladio had run of to hunt. The wagons stood parked in a half-circle and most of the group of merchants and guards were seated around the fire in the middle over which a pot steewed, laughing at some joke that the woman hadn't heard. She could hear the soft neighing of the horses, and surmised that they weren't far away.

"Ah, there you are. Everyone, meet Ekali of the Frozen Heights," Do'Rak said when he spotted her, and gestured for her to sit by the fire. She frowned slightly at the odd title he'd given her, but then smiled at all of the greetings that came her way.

The male khajiit was sitting next to a female, and having removed most of his armour, a small child was now sitting on his lap. Two other children also sat with the two, though both of them seemed to be a few years older than the first. Then there were another three khajiit's in commoners clothing, all female, and a few of the guards. A wood elf and a nord, dressed respectively in leathers and steel armour were the two anomalies.

When Ekali sat down, one of the other women spooned some of the contents of the pot into a bowl and gave it to her together with a piece of bread. She said thank you before she started eating from the bowl, and such a flurry of tastes met her tongue that she had to stop for a moment. It was mostly the taste of cheese and ale, but also another that seemed to dance with her taste buds.

"What is this?" she asked of one of the other females when she'd finished her meal, and the other woman smiled to her before answering.

"It's Elsweyr fondue, we make it of ale, eidar cheese and moon sugar." Ekali knew she looked both surprised and alarmed, luckily the other khajiit had turned away just after she delivered her answer. The wood elf guard, seeing her discomfort, approached Ekali then.

"Don't worry, the moon sugar looses it's potency as a drug when it's cooked," the male whispered to her, and she whispered her thanks back to him. He smiled at her one last time and nodded before stepping back again to survey the perimeter of the camp.

Ekali sat for a while more, listening to the camp's chatter, before another person walked up to her. He was another khajiit, and had taken of his steel armour in favour of comfort. He looked very young to the female's eyes, dark brown spots spread randomly across his golden fur. The brown shirt he wore was tight against his large chest, and a mane of dark-brown hair covered his head. The yellow eyes looked her up and down curiously as he approached.

"Hello, I am Urjora," the male said, his voice an even tone that reminded her of the whisper the wind made as it flew through the trees. He sat down by her side with ease, and Ekali nodded to him in greeting.

"Hello," she said, turning from him to look at the others around the fire. The ease with which all of them moved amongst each other and conversed, except for a few of the guards, implied that they'd known each other for a long time. The female khajiit found it pleasant simply to be able to witness such a thing again, having only been exposed to the guarded socialisation of nobles and soldiers since her arrest.

"You helped to fight the bandits, didn't you?" the young male asked, and she turned her gaze back to him. He truly did look like an innocent boy, and perhaps that's why the smile that adorned her face was so heartfelt. There beside her sat a person who'd yet to experience tragedy.

"Yeah, I did. How long have you been with the caravan?" His smile only got larger when she asked him.

"A couple of years now, they took me in when I came here from Elsweyr. I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for Do'Rak and Inerri," the youngster said, and Ekali nodded knowingly.

"I felt the same way about the legion once," she confided, and the male's eyes grew wider as he realised what she meant.

"You were a legionnaire? I didn't think they accepted anyone but humans in their ranks," he said, and Ekali smiled faintly.

"Those times are long past. I never fought on the front-lines, but I knew many elves who did."

"So what did you do?" His question came as no surprise to the female, nor did the fact that his admiration for her didn't seem to diminish.

"For the first year there was the training of course, then I took part in covert operations, weeding out bandit strongholds and such. Eventually I was reassigned to Bruma as a forester after the last one got himself killed. That means that I hunted down bandits, fugitives and of course animals that had gone feral," Ekali said and took a sip from her water-flask, looking into the fire instead of at the youngster.

"What's it like? To kill people I mean." She glanced back at him when he finished speaking and sighed.

"Have you never done it? You are part of a guard force," she said and frowned at him. The lad looked down and scratched his head.

"No, I'm usually left to guard the wagons when anything like what happened today occurs, and we haven't come across that many ambushes. Sometimes I wonder if they're coddling me." The male sighed, and she frowned in response.

"You should be happy you haven't had to kill anyone yet. It tears at your soul, and if you aren't careful it might destroy who you are. Don't kill anyone unless you have to," Ekali spoke with a low tone as she looked into Urjora's eyes. His brow was furrowed when he met hers, though they still held that same childish adoration as before.


	23. 4.2 Up We Go

"Well, this is where we part. I hope you meet no danger as you travel," Do'Rak said as he flung the last of the bedrolls onto one of the wagons and turned back to the khajiit female with white fur. She smiled faintly and hoisted her bag onto her back, looking around at all of the travellers. The sun's rays scattered of her armour and he wondered, not for the last time, who she were.

"There was something I've been meaning to ask you since yesterday," she said, and her gaze travelled to Urjora whom had hoisted one of the children onto his shoulders while he was speaking leisurely with Inerri. The male by her side followed her gaze, and smiled when he saw what she was looking at.

"Yes?" he asked, and Ekali turned her eyes back to him.

"When you introduced me yesterday, you called me 'Ekali of the Frozen Heights'. Why?" Her question caught him of guard, and he shrugged as he thought of what to answer.

"You came from the tundra, the frozen heights. There was no reason to call you otherwise, and you seemed in need of a new beginning. Especially after what you told Urjora yesterday," the male met her confused look and smiled kindly. "We need to be going." Ekali nodded at that, and took his hand when he offered it to her, fingers grasping his firmly. "We'll meet again I think." He smiled at her.

"I hope so," she answered with a genuine smile, and released Do'Rak's hand so that he could head towards his horse.

Just then, the wagon drivers got the horses to move forward, and the caravan guards formed up around them. Do'Rak looked back at the wagons and then smiled one last time to the woman before he mounted his horse and trotted after the others. Gladio came up beside her and barked happily, prompting her to run her fingers through his fur before taking her bow in hand and starting up the trail that would take her on the fastest route to Ivarstead.

:-:-:-:

The coloured leaves of the autumn forest fell softly to the ground as the setting suns last rays shone through it. The clear water flowed past the small village, increasing in speed as it moved past. Two stone bridges, one towards the Throat of the world, and one going towards the southern forest, offered two of the three entrances. The third came from the north, a small trail that had been created by the many hunters and prey that traversed it.

Six buildings made up the little village, if one did not count the burned down structure on the other side of the river. There was the inn, the mill, the small and newly built general-store and three houses in which farmers, fishermen and hunters had lived for many years. The order in the village had stayed the same for all those years, as the pilgrims headed for the mountain-trail provided a good income for its inhabitants.

Ekali and Gladio entered from the northern trail in the late afternoon, dirt and grime covering both of them from the long path upon which they'd travelled. They walked past one of the bridges, the mill and several houses before stopping before the inn. Then the two walked up the stairs and in through the doors of the wooden building.

The owner looked up as they came in, and most of the eyes in the room looked at the wolf first, until they spotted the khajiit next to whom the animal was walking. Then they looked at her instead. Wilhelm put away the cloth he'd been using to sweep the counter-top when they approached.

"What can I do for you?" he asked and nodded his greetings to the woman. She cast a look around the room as she took her coin-pouch from her side and withdrew a few coins.

"I'd like to rent a room and to buy a mug of mead and a bowl of soup," she said as she put down the correct amount of drakes in front of him. Nodding, the nord scooped up the coins and put them in a lock-box before turning back to her.

"Certainly, you room is over there, and I'll bring out the food in a moment," he gave a grudging smile as he pointed in the direction of the room. She smiled faintly back despite the suddenly tense atmosphere in the room. Then she walked with the wolf to the room he'd pointed out and sat down on the bed, placing her pack on the floor beside it. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and sighed, wishing that she was back with the caravan.

After that Ekali started to take of her armour, piling it on the bed for the time being, and told Gladio to stay in the room as she headed out into the common room and took a seat at a table in the corner. After a while Wilhelm came up and placed her food in front of her, and the khajiit smiled in thanks and ate the soup, avoiding the stares of the other people in the room.

:-:-:-:

It was early morning when they left the inn, setting their course towards the bridge that connected Ivarstead to the path going up the mountain. Clouds covered the skies, though they weren't dark, and as such she hoped it meant that no storm would come upon them on the mountain.

As they approached the bridge, Ekali saw two men standing on it, one of them leaning against the railing as they spoke. The one who was standing turned to her when they heard her approach, and asked her what her business was in the village. He did not seem hostile, yet she could not help to wonder about his intentions.

"I'm just passing through to get up the mountain," she answered and frowned as he looked her over.

"Ah, a pilgrim. You're not going all the way up to High Hrothgar by any chance? If you are, could you deliver something for me?" the man asked as the other man straightened up from his leisurely stance by the stone railing and walked of into the village, and Gladio trotted of towards the mountain.

"I suppose you could say that, and yes. I am headed for High Hrothgar. What do you want me to deliver?" she said, still hesitant. He picked up a sack from beside his legs and tossed it to her, Ekali caught it easily.

"Those are supplies. I usually deliver them once a month, but I'm growing older and the path is treacherous. Come back when you're done up there and I'll give you something for your troubles." He only waited for her to nod in confirmation before he walked past her towards the village, and Ekali packed the supplies with the rest of her equipment before following the path Gladio had taken, catching up with him only after a little while.

Hours passed as they trudged on along the winding trail, with only the bright skies above to watch their passing. They saw a few pilgrims as they walked, but no one bothered them, and the only other living creatures were birds and the occasional wolf that they had to dispatch of.

It was hard going, as snow often covered slick patches of ice on the stone steps, and the biting wind sought to throw them of their feet. Ekali stayed quiet all of the while, eyes and ears always alert for threats on their path. Gladio investigated unseen tracks, running to and fro across the trail. They stopped briefly to eat when the sun was at its highest, then they continued on again.

By mid-afternoon Ekali spotted something further up the snow-covered trail, and gestured for Gladio to be quiet. The wolf barred his teeth, for he'd already seen what lay before them. A snow troll was fighting someone up ahead, emitting strange noises as it did so. When the khajiit finally saw the steel-clad warrior fighting the snow troll, she drew her bow and nocked an arrow, telling Gladio to attack.

The wolf bounded forward just as she released her first arrow, piercing the unnatural creature through its shoulder, and the creature gave an unnatural shriek as it turned slightly from the warrior after knocking whoever it was back a few feet. First spotting the wolf, it rushed at the animal, but Gladio skipped aside just as they were about to meet, circling the creature to clamp his jaws down around one of its back legs. The troll swung at him, and he once again bounded out of its reach.

Ekali had once again readied an arrow, and released it just as the creature shrieked after the wolf again. By now the warrior had recovered, and ran while yelling some form of battle-cry at the creature. But the troll was faster, and was now running towards Ekali. Knowing that it would reach her before the warrior did, she put her bow away and unsheathed the great-sword that was slung over her back.

As the troll reached her, Ekali sidestepped and reached out her sword to slash at it. She managed to cut its arm, but then it spun around directly to reach out with the other and hit her as hard as it could. It hit her chest, and though the armour protected her from most of the damage, the force of the blow threw her backwards onto the cold ground. The creature hurried up to her as she struggled to get on her feet, the sword having been knocked out of her hands, and she watched as it lifted it's arms and retracted the long claws to finish her off.

Gladio was still quite a distance away, and though she pulled at her short-sword to draw it from its scabbard, it wouldn't shift. Cursing her damned luck, Ekali was just about to roll out of the way when before her eyes, a green sword poked through the trolls abdomen and it shrieked before falling to the side.


	24. 4.3 Noble Death

When the troll fell dead to the side, the khajiit was surprised to find an orc standing before her, and both of them looked at each other in surprise before he reached his hand down and hoisted her to her feet. She mumbled a thank you to him, but he just looked at her as he sheathed his sword.

"What's a khajiit doing all alone in the midst of Skyrim?" he said after a while, breath coming out as a fine mist as he breathed rather heavily from the exertion. His rather large tusks captured her attention when he spoke, and black hair was pulled back from his face. A permanent crease sat above his brow. It took another long stare from the grey eyes for her to realise that he was waiting for an answer.

"I could ask you the same thing," Ekali said as she brushed the snow from her fur and moved to pick her own sword up from the ground. He chuckled darkly in response as he eyed her weapons. Gladio came up then and gave the man a wary glance before looking Ekali over. "I'm fine boy," she said, looking at the wolf, and then turned to the orc again. "And that's because of you. Thanks for killing the beast." She forced a smile on her lips as she reached her hand out to shake his, and he took it and shrugged.

"I don't like having things owed to me or owing things to others. You got the troll's attention and gave me time to get up, I killed it before it could beat you into the stone. As far as I'm concerned we're even," he said blankly as he moved his hand over his head, taking a look at their surroundings.

"Al right," she answered him, looking surprised. "What are you doing up here? If you don't mind me asking. You don't look like someone who'd travel all this way simply to meditate."

"Neither do you," he frowned after he said it, as if though wondering whether he'd said it wrong, but then he shook his head and made a move towards the way she'd been heading. "We should start walking at least." Which was what they did when he thought of what to say. "I've come here because the way is perilous, and I seek a good death. A troll is a worthy opponent. Why are you here?" his question shook her from the reverie that his earlier words had put her in, and she inhaled deeply before answering.

"The Greybeards wish to see me," Ekali shrugged as a frown appeared on her face. "Why would you wish to die, are you sick?" she asked, and the orc smiled lightly as he considered her.

"I am not sick. One should find his death while he can still call himself a proper man. We orc men are not like these Nords and Imperials who carry on until they are grey and feeble and their hair falls out. To cling to something that is past its usefulness is unseemly, how much so when that thing is you?" he grunted, and set his hard gaze in front of them as they trudged on.

"Things that are past their usefulness are usually broken, you're not. Why then compare the two? And why would you wish to die? To be honest, it seems like a really odd thing to actively seek." He looked back up at her when he spoke.

"You wouldn't understand. I lost everything I had not long ago, I no longer have a reason to live," his voice was resigned when he spoke, and Ekali noted the sorrow that followed his words.

"I understand better than you'd think, but there are many things to live for. If you can't think of any reasons, isn't there a chance that you could find a new reason? I lost my old life when I came to Skyrim, everything that have ever made my life mine. But I'm not going to try and kill myself, because I've found a new reason," she said as she gazed into his eyes, and noting that they'd stopped, began to walk again. He grunted again, and shook his head slightly.

"I don't see anything that I could do that would make this life worth living," he uttered, and she glanced back at him again. Snow was beginning to fall as they conversed, and she idly hoped that it wouldn't blow up into a storm.

"You could help people. As much as I think humans would distrust you at the beginning, there are a lot of people in Skyrim who needs help from someone who can fight. And what if you someday met someone and got a new family? Would you want to miss up on that opportunity?" He didn't answer that, merely met her gaze with a contemplative look before once more turning his concentration onto their surroundings.

They travelled until the sun was setting and it was no longer safe to continue on the path. Then they stopped in a place where the cliffs provided cover against the strong wind, and gathered as much wood as they could find to build a fire.

:-:-:-:

Where they sat around the small fire, the orc had taken out a whetstone and his sword to sharpen it, and Gladio was lying by Ekali's side while staring at the flickering flames, eyes half closed. She was contemplating whether it'd be a good idea to go to bed early, but decided against it. The sky was covered by clouds, though the snow had ceased to fall a while ago. The khajiit's eyes were drawn to the orc and his unusual sword, and he looked up as soon as he felt it, looking confused at why she looked like she did.

"What kind of sword is that?" she finally asked, and the orc was so surprised he dropped the whetstone. It was such an important part of him, that using and taking care of the weapon had become second nature to him. Taking up the stone again, he looked the sword over before answering.

"It's orichalcum, it's a metal that our smiths specialise in." She nodded at his words, and they fell silent again as he continued to care for the peculiar blade. Then he paused, having thought of something, and looked at her again. "I realize that we have not introduced each other, and think that it might be wise to do so now."

"Oh, right," Ekali answered, surprised. "My name is Ekali, this is Gladio," she said then, gesturing to the wolf when she uttered his name. The orc nodded before talking himself.

"I am Shakh, from Orsinium." The khajiit female smiled faintly as they shook hands for the second time, and he smiled back hesitantly. Then they settled back, and spent a quiet evening in each others company before going off to sleep.

:-:-:-:

The great building looming above her caused Ekali to stop in her tracks as she looked upon it. It looked like a castle, with two floors above the foundation. Everything was made of stone, though snow covered any pieces that jutted out, as well as the roof and the top of the small tower-like structure just in between the two doors that lead to the entrance.

She cast a last look the other way, the road that Shakh had taken only a little while ago, before she took a deep breath and walked up the slippery staircase with Gladio on her heels. The steps seemed to be very much unused, except for a few old footprints that stuck there because of the ice. The door was heavy when she pushed on it, but surprisingly it made very little noise, and moved easily as soon as she'd begun opening it. The hall into which she stepped was very large, with a few pillars, and candles adorned a few places around the room. An open space took the centre of her attention, for it was the only place in the room that was well lit, and a square of stone different from that surrounding it was in the middle. The square was quite large, with each corner pointing to one of the four walls.

Ekali's attention was drawn from the architecture when an old man in robes stepped down the stairs on the other side of the room and walked towards her. Though he looked old with wrinkles and grey beard and hair, his gait was not troubled in the least.

"So... a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age," he said in a voice that carried through the air and probably could be heard throughout the building. The man's eyes held both wisdom and sorrow that caused her to wonder what he could be thinking as he looked her up and down.

"I am answering your summons," Ekali said in response as he nodded to her.

"We will see if you truly have the gift. Put down your equipment by the wall," he said, and she did as he'd asked in silence. Show us Dragonborn. Let us taste of your voice." He stepped back a step after he said so, and seemed to wait for her once she stood before him again.

"You want me to Shout at you?" Ekali asked, perplexed as she looked at the man.

"Yes, you will not harm me," he answered her with a sigh, and the khajiit reached for the strange power that had been in her ever since she fought Mirmulnir. The word came to her as soon as she thought of it, and she took a breath to calm herself before she allowed the power to be released.

" _Fus!_ " The shout that escaped her mouth caused the man to close his eyes, and he almost seemed happy when he opened them again. For the first time, he smiled at her before he spoke again.

"I am master Arngeir, I speak for the Greybeards. You say you have come to answer our summons. If you would have it, we would teach you about the voice, and the responsibilities that comes with the gift you have been given," he said, then gestured to four other men whom had entered while he was speaking. She looked around at them, all four were looking at her, and then turned back to Arngeir with a deep breath.

"I would be thankful for whatever you wish to teach me," she said when she met his eyes, and he gave a nod that was barely perceptible. With his hand, he then gestured for her to walk further towards the centre of the room, and she did so next to him. One of the other men, Einarth she'd later learn that his name was, stepped up next to the square.

" _Ro_ ," he spoke, and though the shout reverberated through the air, it didn't hold the same force that it would if he'd spoken it in combat. Runes appeared on the ground in front of him, and she stepped closer to them, recognising the same script with which Fur had been written upon the wall. The word started glowing after a second, and once again the voices whispered in her head, louder and louder by each moment that passed. Then they quietened, and only one word remained. _Ro._ Mirmulnir had said it meant balance.

"Master Einarth will now gift with you his knowledge of Ro," Arngeir then said, and a similar light to when the dragon had died flowed through the air between Ekali and the other Greybeard, causing the voices to speak in her head again. This time she managed to hold down the power that bubbled to the surface, and turned again to Arngeir when she'd done so.


	25. 4.4 High Hrothgar

The strap that was attached to the bag slipped from the woman's fingers as she lowered it towards the ground, sitting down on the hard bed. She could feel the stone of the bed even though she'd piled countless furs on top of it, and so the khajiit was careful when she lay back on top of it. The small room in which she had been given leave to sleep was in truth little more than a storage area. Boxes and broken furniture lined most of the walls, while one was completely covered by firewood. As such, the bed almost stood in the middle of the room, and Ekali could only access a fourth of it. The room was situated just across the hall from the Greybeards chambers, and next to the bathing rooms.

Gladio had a bear pelt to lie on next to her bed, and though that meant that the two had even lesser area to move around on than they would otherwise, the wolf hadn't liked the idea of sleeping in the entry hall. The room had probably been inhabited before, the carpets and the fact that the bed didn't look like it was meant to be moved far were only a few of the clues that made her think of it.

The khajiit started taking her armour off, only leaving the boots since she had nothing else to wear on her feet, and the stone floors seemed cold even to her fur-covered body. Then she piled the pieces carefully next to her bed, making sure not to push them over, and placed her weapons next to them. Despite the troll Ekali had encountered coming up the mountain, she somehow doubted that she would come across anything dangerous in the halls of High Hrothgar. Except the Greybeards themselves of course, but they were very unlikely to use their powers against her of all people.

She had found – though she had yet to stay in the building for longer than half a day – that the old men were extremely peaceful, even to the extent of looking down on those who resorted to violence. Hence they had not interfered in the war. In a way it seemed too good to be true, as power has a tendency to corrupt, and in destructive powers the Greybeards would probably beat most people. Yet she didn't doubt that they'd kill each other to keep those powers under control.

Having put everything away, Ekali got to her feet and walked out of the room with Gladio following close behind her. She ignored the entrance to the Greybeards living area, stepping out into the Great Hall in which she'd learned the word _Ro_ only a while ago. The air was chilly, and the building was silent but for the small noise of cutlery against plates on the opposite side. Since she couldn't see anyone eating, the khajiit assumed that those noises came from another room and she headed of towards the alcove that was straight ahead of her.

Judging from the fact that the Greybeards robes most likely were made out of wool, it might have seemed strange for someone to walk through the cold building in such simple clothing – the few fires throughout really didn't do much to keep it warm – but with the addition of her fur Ekali really didn't need anything but the linen clothing. There was a layer of fur beneath the chain-mail of her armour, which was of course useful when traveling through the snow, but she didn't necessarily need it inside.

None of the Greybeards looked up when she entered the large room with the stone table and the many chairs. It made Ekali feel uneasy, that they were so certain of themselves that they did not fear a stranger living underneath their roof.

A goblet of mead, a bowl of soup, some bread and dried meat all lay in front of one of the free chairs, and since all of the men were already seated it was obvious that the food was meant for her. So she sat down, and Gladio went over to a slab of meat lying only a few feet away from the door. Then they ate the meal in silence and while the Greybeards seemed at ease, the silence was foreign to the woman and she could not find it in herself to relax.

:-:-:-:

" _Fus Ro!_ " The words did not break out of her mouth this time, but was pushed out, and the spectral shape stumbled before fading out of existence. Arngeir smiled when she looked up at him, though the rest of the Greybeards looked as solemn as ever. They stood, merely looking at her, waiting for their spokesman to talk.

"You have proven your ability concerning learning new words and using them, now we would like to see how well you learn entirely new shouts. We will perform your next trial in the courtyard," he said and gestured for her to follow as all of the Greybeards turned and walked towards the doors to the courtyard. She followed quickly, picking up the cloak they'd found for her to wear outside. For even though the monastery with its stone walls was cold, the side of the mountain was even more so.

She followed after them, taking the door from the last Greybeard and only holding it open long enough for her to get through. The biting wind cut into her body despite the cloak, and she pulled it closer around her body as she hurried after the old men. They seemed resistant to the cold, and though the rough wool of their robes looked warm, she doubted it was _that_ warm. But she followed them without complaint, watching as one of the men walked up to the gate on the western part of the courtyard, and another went to stand between the pillars that had been placed some distance away from them. When they were in position, Arngeir gestured for her to step up as another, Master Borri, Shouted a word at the ground where the runes appeared and started glowing.

"This Word is 'Wuld', which means 'whirlwind'. The shout in itself is called whirlwind sprint, and allows you to travel short distances very quickly. You must hear the word within yourself before you can project it into a Thu'um, a Shout," Arngeir said as Ekali stepped closer to the runes on the ground, and then the voices began again as her sight narrowed until it only encompassed the word. She could recognize what they spoke of now, though she could not yet understand all of it. Tamrielic and the language of the dragons mixed, the former speaking of speed and power. Alluring words meant to capture the hearer, to mold her to its will. But they could not keep going on forever, so they stopped with the uttering of the new word, _Wuld_ , as she staggered backwards in shock.

"Approach Master Borri and he will gift you his knowledge of 'Wuld'." The Greybeards' voice brought the khajiit back to reality, and she tore her eyes from the ground where the runes were still engraved, stepping closer to the man in question. Light swirled between them as the voices filled her head. But they were dampened compared to when she'd learned the word itself, and Ekali frowned at this. "Master Wulfgar will demonstrate Whirlwind sprint, then it will be your turn," Arngeir said, and Ekali moved with him and Borri towards the pillars and the gate. At Arngeir's sign, Master Einarth opened the gate with another word, _Bex_.

" _Wuld Nah Kest_!" Wulfgar shouted and flew past them. A moment later he stood on the other side of the gates that closed behind him.

"Now it is your turn. Stand next to me. Master Einarth will open the gate, use your whirlwind sprint to pass through before it closes." The female stepped up to him hesitantly, placing herself between the two pillars as she brought the shout to the front of her mind, doing her best to rein it in until the gate opened.

Then Einarth shouted Bex and she allowed the word to flow free, bursting out of her mouth and leaving her breathless when she came to a stop on the other side of the gate only to hear it swing shut behind her. The shock of going from standing still to moving so quickly brought her to her knees, and she gasped into the freezing air.

"You could certainly use more practice, but there's no denying that you learn the words far more quickly than any of us thought possible. It is astonishing to see it," Arngeir said as Wulfgar helped her to her feet and the gate opened yet again to allow them to return to the main part of the courtyard.

"I... thank you. What must I do next?" Ekali said when she came to stand before Arngeir again, and the other men moved past them into the monastery.

"You are now ready for your last trial. Retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, our founder, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav. Remain true to the way of the voice, and you will return," he said, looking at her with pride in his eyes.

"There were some things that I wished to speak to you about. Ask about, more specifically. Why are you the only one that speaks here, and are you four the only Greybeards?" she asked as her eyes roamed the grounds.

"I will answer whatever questions you can think of," he answered her, smiling slightly before continuing. "There are only the four of us who live in the monastery, our leader lives on the peak of the mountain, and you may visit him when your powers have grown strong enough. I am the only one who speaks because of the power that each of us commands. When you begin to use the Thu'um, learning new words is a very difficult endeavor. But as we learn more and meditate on the words we gain more power. When that happens, more and more of what we say comes out in Shouts. Most of the dragons have already surpassed that point, they can infuse their power into any words, and still converse in the way that we do. But most mortals – except for the dragonborn who has the ability to learn words much faster - do not live long enough to gain that amount of control during their lifetime. I cannot use the same amount of power as my brothers, and as such I can still control my voice all of the time, which is why I speak for the Greybeards. You will reach that point, I'm certain of it, if you survive." Worry creased Ekali's brow by the time that Arngeir finished, and she nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you. Have you ever heard of Dezhahnu?" she asked then, and the Greybeard turned thoughtful for a minute as his eyes wandered over the courtyard. Then he focused on her again when he remembered something.

"A few of the old books mention it, though they speak mostly of the dragons that various dragonborn have met there after absorbing their souls. There are rarely any descriptions of the place itself or of how it works," he said, as Ekali sighed and nodded.

"Once again, thank you. I have no other questions at the moment," she said, and the two walked side by side towards the doors to the monastery.

"I am sorry that I cannot be of more help, but you are welcome to look through the books before dinner if you wish."

"I will do that, if it isn't too much trouble." He smiled at her again as they entered.

"It is not."


	26. 5.1 Civil Conflict

She arrived in Ivarstead in the afternoon, when the sun still shone upon the colored leaves and wooden buildings. The few clouds that adorned the sky were small, white and far in between. She walked leisurely, and Gladio bounded around her, hunting butterflies and investigating different scents.

The wolf came to a sudden stop as terrified screams tore through the air, and seeing smoke from further along the road, Ekali put on her helmet and set of at a run towards the yells that were increasing in volume. The wolf didn't keep pace with her this time, he'd soon outrun her as he sprinted full out towards whatever was happening. And as she passed the village houses, both armed villagers and guards left them to run towards the commotion.

Then she rounded a corner, and the outskirts of the village came within her sight. She paused momentarily, for it was Imperial soldiers fighting the town guards, and she did not wish to be involved in the conflict. But then she saw the villager lying on the ground, and she drew her great-sword as she once again rushed towards the skirmish. The Imperial force was small, merely amounting to about twenty men, but that was far more than the numbers of the village's garrison.

She came to a stop next to one of the guards, barely having time to block the swipe aimed for his throat before having to duck a shield-bash aimed at herself. She spun, cutting open the stomach of the soldier who'd struck at her, desperately trying to hold her own against the many soldiers that surrounded them, hoping that the rest of the guards would arrive soon. And though more guards did arrive by the minute, they were still outnumbered, and they had trouble fighting through the soldiers to get to their allies. Still, it was with reluctance that she opened her mouth.

" _Fus Ro!_ " she Shouted, and the soldiers closest to her was thrown back, slamming into those who were further away. Those not affected by the shout stopped what they were doing in surprise, but driven by their desperation the village guards were quickest to recover, and the odds turned as they descended on the fallen Imperials, as well as the ones who were still standing. Fear seared through the soldiers when they recovered, and they began their retreat slowly, after a while turning and full out sprinting from the village. Some guards raised their bows to shoot them down, but others stopped them, and the remaining soldiers had soon disappeared into the forest.

The first to move were the guards, walking about with grim faces to see who was dead and who was still alive. Then the villagers got into motion, working together to get the wounded into the houses and to collect supplies to tend to their wounds. The dead were put to the side, to be buried once no one was in mortal danger. Ekali moved with the villagers, and strangely enough, no one objected when she put a hand onto some of those close to death and poured her magic into them. At the moment, when so many were so close to death, they put their prejudices aside to accept whatever help they could gain.

Even the Imperial soldiers were tended to in the best way possible, for when one looked beyond the different armors they all wore, they were still kinsmen. The khajiit marveled at this, for she'd seen nothing of the like in the army. Yet the civilians helped those who'd caused, and probably had yet to cause, the deaths of their loved ones. It was like a well-tuned harp playing a solemn song – so much like a routine did it seem when the civilians worked to save those who they should call their enemies – and it was easy to let go of any thoughts that lingered in ones head. For right then and there, all that mattered was to save as many lives as was possible.

Thankfully, not many of the civilians or guards had been killed, and she was relieved to find that only Imperial soldiers had been harmed by her shout. And it wasn't until everyone in need of medical care had been taken care of that anyone approached Ekali about what she'd done. She was bent over one of the hurt guards, tending to his wounds to the best of her abilities, when footsteps sounded behind her before coming to a stop. She finished the last stitch, only having enough magical reserves to stop the worst of the bleeding for a few, before she turned around. It was one of the villagers who stood before her, the innkeeper whose name she recalled from her previous stay in the village, Wilhelm. He looked at her curiously, untroubled by the animal that was watching them from his spot next to the door.

"So the rumors are true then. We heard the Greybeards call the Dragonborn to High Hrothgar, but we had a hard time believing that the person in question was a khajiit," the man said as she wiped the worst of the blood of her hands with a cloth and put the sewing equipment away before standing up. A lot of her fur was mottled by blood and grime, and she hadn't had the time to do more than to put her armor away.

"How are you so certain that I haven't spent the last few years studying with the Greybeards?" the khajiit asked him as she looked down on the wounded man again.

"Everyone that head up to High Hrothgar stop in Ivarstead, and I never forget a face. I saw you for the first time a few days ago." She nodded as she prodded the body of the unconscious man, searching for any more broken bones.

"You're right of course. But I don't know what you want me to say," she said with a shrug, turning to the innkeeper to walk out of the building as she slung her pack over her shoulder. He fell in beside her when she did so, still glancing at her every once in a while.

"Why did you do it? Help us against the Imperials. We didn't exactly give you a warm welcome the last time," he said as they walked, and she shrugged.

"They attacked civilians, and I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. That's not right." Gladio caught up with them then, and the Nord threw the wolf a quick look.

"We are grateful in any case. Not just for helping us drive them of, but for using your magic to heal people. As much as we frown upon magic, many would not have survived without it. And you could have left hours ago." She smiled at this, turning to face him.

"You don't need to thank me, it was the right thing to do," she said as they stopped momentarily. He just stared at her for a moment, incredulous, before reaching out his hand to shake hers.

"I haven't heard those words be spoken in a long time, I doubt many have. Perhaps there actually is a chance of saving Skyrim from its own people. I'm glad to have met you," he said and walked past her towards the inn as she stared back at him in shock.

"I... Come on Gladio, we should get going," she said after a few seconds, shaking her head briefly and turning towards the same path that the innkeeper had taken. Even a bath of cold water and cold soup was preferable to another night on the cold ground, and the blood in her fur was something that she'd always found to be uncomfortable. Besides, there was more work to be done in the village – and as had already been proven – the villagers appreciated the help.


	27. 5.2 What Do You Want?

**28th Last Seed**

Midday came with clouds hanging heavy and dark in the sky as the khajiit female and her companion approached the city of Windhelm. They proved quite the pair, walking side by side, and the attention of the guards turned to them as they approached the bridge. Her eyes surveyed the fortress-like city as she walked towards one of the guards.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" the large Nord asked, his eyes not leaving the wolf the entire time. The womans ears flickered slightly as her gaze traveled between them, whiskers bristling when she saw the the object of the guardsman's worry.

"I only wonder where I could find lodging within the city," she said, taking a step closer to the male wolf.

"The New Gnisis cornerclub lies in the Grey quarter, the lower part of the city where the Dark Elves live. There's also Candlehearth Hall just within the gates, but I doubt they'll serve you." Her eyes narrowed at that, but the guard only gave her a blank stare and shrugged. "Might not like it, but that's the truth. Not many in the city care for any other race but humans." Just then a low growl emitted from the wolf, and the guard jumped of shock as the khajiit spun around.

"Dragon! There's a dragon in the sky!" The shout came from the battlements of the bridge as bows were drawn and the exposed guardsmen moved into cover. Ekali slipped her helmet down over her head, and then drew her bow quickly before motioning for Gladio to get out of the way as she saw the beast descending towards them. Its gray scales glistened in the sunlight, wings folding neatly against the body as it took aim on one of the Nords, sweeping down and taking him in its claws before he had time to shoot. The creatures movements were smooth, wings folding out just as its claws closed around the man, catching an updraft and sailing out over the water before opening them again. As the man fell screaming to his death, the majestic dragon came flying back. The other guardsmen and Ekali pulled the strings on their bows back as they aimed in on the creature. Then she saw the beast open its mouth, and loosed her arrow before ducking into cover. She heard the guards do the same a moment later.

" _Fro Krah Diin!_ " But they weren't quick enough, and screams tore through the air as the dragon Shouted and frost flowed over the already cold out of cover as soon as it dissipated, she saw the dragon beginning to fly away from the bridge and opened her mouth in a shout of her own.

" _Fus Ro!_ " The words broke from her mouth with the force of an avalanche, and the dragon was thrown of course slightly, anger consuming it as it turned easily in the air.

"Dovahkiin!" it roared, narrowing its eyes on her and coming back towards the bridge. By that time the soldiers who weren't very hurt had gotten to their feet, and though their eyes were wide with shock they pulled out arrows and began to shoot the dragon. "I am Feynahkril! Fear my voice! _Fus Ro Dah!_ " The shock-wave that spilled forth from his mouth threw them backwards, of the walkways and into the walls. Then the bridge shook as the beasts claws clamped around the side, and he craned his neck to look at her. His head whipped towards her, but Elkali rolled out of the way in the last second, causing the beasts muzzle to collide with the stone wall, and he roared in anger as he shook his head to clear it. Clarity came swiftly as a pair of jaws closed on the side of his throat, and a roar of pain heralded the furious shaking that ensued.

Gladio was thrown of, and a pained whine escaped from his throat as he fell to the stone floor further away, but when Feynahkril's head swiveled round again he could not find the dragonborn.

Quick steps penetrated the sudden stillness, but he wasn't fast enough to turn and pain shot through him as a blade dug into his neck. First then did he feel the pain all over his body, all the arrows that had gotten stuck and been driven further in by her shout. His life-blood had been seeping through the skin moments earlier, but as the sword was removed from his neck by her hands he could feel it flow freely over his scales. Fatigue coursed through his lumbering body as a thick mist settled over his eyes, and he was unable to even raise his head before descending into darkness.

Having seen the dragons eyes close, Ekali wiped the blood of the two-handed blade using a piece of cloth that she kept in her pack before putting it back into its sheath. Then she turned to survey the the bridge and found that not half as many as had been knocked to the ground by the dragons shout still lay there. Six men still laid down, but several were groaning, and many others sat with their backs to the walls. Reinforcements must have had arrived some time during the fight, for many of the men were staring at her as they tended to their wounded comrades.

Then her eyes fell on the wolf limping towards her, and she was just about to run to him when the voices began to whisper in her mind. Swirling lights enveloped her body as Ekali stepped backwards and the words increased in volume. This time she could make out a few words of the mess swirling through her head, but they confused her more than anything.

… _her life… is your sister… not allow..! … Breathe child, I…_

… _trust Feynahkril._ And with that, the voices stopped even faster than they'd begun, the last of the soul poured into her in a surge so powerful that it brought her to her knees. She blinked, looked up from her position on the ground. There was an odd feeling in her chest, power and knowledge becoming so intertwined with her own soul that she had to think for a moment before remembering where she where.

When she finally regained her senses completely, Ekali found that Gladio had already limped up to her, and was pressing his head into her right shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she moved her hand through his fur before moving so she could see what damage had been done to his body.

"You lucky animal, there's only a minor fracture. Be still now, let me heal you," she said and took a firm hold on his leg as she reached inside herself for the little healing power she possessed. Light swirled around them, and when she'd just begun she could hear someone approaching her from behind, but she waited until the wolf was completely healed to turn around.

"So the rumors are true, the dragonborn is a khajiit." The Nord looking down on her kneeling form had discarded his helmet, possibly because it got too cold from the Frost breath, and was only wearing the blue and gray raiment of the Stormcloaks as well as a pair of fur boots. He had short blonde hair, which was a length that seemed quite uncommon amongst the Nords, and some short stubble adorned his chin and cheeks. They were youthful eyes that looked back at her as she rose so as to better meet his gaze. And though he still towered over her, he didn't need to bend his head very much.

"Yes, I am," she said and sighed as the wolf placed himself by her side. The soldier just stared for a moment before he realized what he was doing.

"I… word's come down from the palace that the Jarl wishes to see you," he said finally, hands fidgeting a bit. Ekali groaned as she pulled her helmet of her head and ran her fingers through the sweaty fur.

"More nobility," she muttered, then shook her head and looked at him again. "Thank you for telling me." He nodded to her before walking away to help with the wounded, and motioning for Gladio to follow, Ekali headed towards the city.

:-:-:-:

Suspicious eyes followed them when Ekali and Gladio finally entered the palace and headed towards the throne on which the Jarl sat. An Orc was talking to the steward, and many guards stood at different places around the room, but she ignored them for the time being. Her eyes pointed straight at the Stormcloak Jarl as she strode forward purposefully. Then his gaze was raised from the papers in front of him, and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of her. Looking down, Ekali saw that her armor was still slightly splattered with blood, and winced at the sight before looking up again.

"Yes, what do you want?" the Jarl asked impatiently when she'd stopped before him. She could feel the hair of her neck stand on end as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I was told that you wished to see me," she said and the whole hall fell quiet, for everyone knew just who he'd called for when word arrived of the dragons fall.

"So you're the dragonborn?" His eyes widened and his mouth hung open for a few seconds before he got control over his face, and she sighed for the second time that day.

"That is what everyone calls me," she answered him, casting a glance around the room to see that everyones attention was focused on her. "I am Ekali… of the Frozen Heights."

"Ekali… Then you are the khajiit we met in Helgen. Ralof said that he wouldn't have gotten out without you." A new light shone in his eyes when the Jarl next spoke, and Ekali squirmed uncomfortably before nodding. She couldn't help it, but that look made her think of a predator watching his next meal.

"I take it that means that he's alive," she said, looking around again.

"Yes, he is. Though he isn't in the city at the moment, so you won't meet him here." His eyes looked her over appraisingly before he spoke again. "I would like to offer you a place in my army. First you escaped Helgen, then you defeated several dragons. I could have use of a soldier with your skill."

"I beg your pardon, but I have no wish to fight in your war. I have my own business to take care of, and the welcome I've been given in this city has not been a good one." He nodded at that, clenching his fists, but controlling his anger for a later time.

"Very well, then at least accept my offer of free lodging in Candlehearth hall." He inclined his head in her direction, clearly not wishing to speak any longer, and she bowed in response. Then she turned on her heel and walked out through the palace doors.

"Ekali!" She hadn't come far from the palace when she heard running footsteps behind her, and turned around in surprise to greet the person whom had called out her name.


	28. 5.3 Friend

**28th Last Seed**

"Shakh," she said, surprise colouring her voice when she saw the orc heading towards her, and he smiled hesitantly at her, meanwhile doing his best to ignore the guards who were paying them far too much attention. "I did not expect to see you here." She smiled faintly back at him as they began to walk next to each other, and he shrugged.

"Neither did I expect to see you, but you said that Skyrim's people could use help, so that's what I'm doing. Are you heading to Candlehearth Hall, or will you join me at the Cornerclub? I find it much more hospitable than the hall," he said, and Ekali glanced at him before once again turning her eyes to the road.

"I think I'll head to the Cornerclub, even if they'll serve me in the hall, they'll only do it because I'm dragonborn. I don't want the kind of attention that'd gain me," she said, and the orc smiled wider as he cut of down some stairs and she followed his lead.

"I'm glad to hear that. Ambarys is a very pleasant host, and has a much larger diversity amongst the beverages he sells. Not like at Candlehearth, where they only sell that strange stuff the Nords call mead." He chuckled a bit at something that he obviously found funny, and Ekali smirked when he stopped talking.

"I actually happen to favour mead," she said, and the orc's laughter stopped abruptly. Had the alleyway they were currently walking through had better lightning, she'd have sworn that the reason to why he turned his head away for a few moments was that he was blushing.

"Oh, ehm… Sorry, I didn't know that." One green hand reached up to scratch his neck, and the female khajiit chuckled.

"Well, obviously. It's not like I've had the time to tell you before." She was still smiling when they came to the end of the alleyway, and she could see the sign of an inn further down the street that they came out onto.

"Eh, right. Of course," he said and smiled hesitantly in her direction again, before they came to stand before the old worn-down door, and Shakh reached out his hand to open it. "It looks a bit shabby, I know. But everything is clean, and the food is good. They don't water down the drinks either," he said first, before opening it. Ekali nodded in response, and then they stepped inside.

There where quite a few people inside, and though a lot of the tables and chairs looked darkened with age, and both the floors and walls were of wood, she found that he had been right. Everything seemed clean, though a male dunmer was currently wiping up some vomit from the floor. Most of the tables where occupied, but there where still a few free ones, and the mer behind the bar looked up when they stepped inside.

"Shakh, what can I get you?" he asked as the two approached the bar, and the orc reached for the money pouch he kept within his armour.

"I'd like some red wine and a bowl of whatever you've got in the cauldron," he answered the dunmer.

"Alright, that's 20 thalms," the owner of the inn said, and the orc handed the correct amount over. "I'll get the food in a moment." The dark elf handed him a bottle and a glass before turning to Ekali. "Now, what can I do for the dragonborn?" he asked with a warm smile, one that she returned.

"I'm Ekali. I'd like to rent a room for the night, and a bath if it's possible. Then I'll take some mead and stew for dinner," she answered as she reached for her money-pouch. But the dark elf raised his hand to stop her with another smile.

"Sure thing, Ekali. I'll have Malthyr take you up to your room and draw up some water in the bathtub. When you come back down the food will be ready. It's all on the house though, so don't go counting out coins," he said as he waved his hand for the other man to come over, and when he did told him his instructions. The khajiit seemed like she was going to protest for a moment, but then she thanked him and followed the elf up the stairs to her room.

:-:-:-:

Shakh had already finished his meal when she came down the stairs again, and was taking occasional sips from a glass of wine as he looked her over. She wore a light brown linen shirt without sleeves and a pair of trousers in a darker material. The shoes on her feet were of a very malleable leather. She looked around for a bit before seeing him at the table by the fire, and walked towards him, having to weave through the other people in the room. He noticed her apparent discomfort now that she wasn't wearing any armour, for even though she held her back straight and moved with the bearing of a legionnaire, her eyes were flickering back and forth and the ears on her head where leaning backwards slightly.

"Sit down, Ambarys should be over any minute now," he said when she came closer, for he'd just seen the dark elf head into the kitchen through the door behind the counter. She lowered herself into the chair with ease, and took a last look around before turning her attention to the orc.

"So, have you managed to find employment here in Windhelm yet?" she asked after a few moments of awkward silence, and he smiled in gratitude for getting something to talk about, putting his glass down on the table.

"Actually, I'd just wrapped up a murder investigation when you arrived. Apparently several women have gone missing and turned up murdered during the last few weeks, and the Jarl's soldiers haven't been able to find out who did it." He moved his hands a bit as he spoke, getting more animated the more he talked. "The last murder before I got here was committed in the graveyard, but the murderer was interrupted before he had time to take the body with him, and so there was a guard at the spot when I got there. I had to talk to the steward before they'd allow me to do anything, but he seemed quite happy that anyone would be willing to look into it, so that was far from the hardest part." He paused to take a drink from his glass, and Ekali chose that moment to cut in.

"But if the guard had had so much trouble with it, how did you manage to find the culprit?" In the time that passed before he spoke again, Ambarys came up with her food, and she thanked him with a smile before turning back to Shakh.

"Well, you see, the wounds on the bodies were very odd, not resembling cuts from any common weapon. The people who'd investigated earlier hadn't looked at them much, as they were common guards and rarely got to take care of murder investigations. I'm quite interested in weaponry, and I thought the wounds looked rather similar to those made by an orcish dagger, but still very different. The culprit never used his own house either, and since there's been no eyewitnesses, it was hard to even know what homes to look in. But I asked the keeper of the Hall of the Dead - Helgird - about it, and she recognised the cuts. Ancient embalming tools, there were some kept in the hall, that's what had made the wounds. You can find them rather often in old barrows, but otherwise they're apparently quite hard to get a hold of.

"In any case, that was not the only clue I found. The murderer screwed up this time, he left a trail of blood from the scene of the crime to the house he used to house his victims. Hjerim, property of the Shatter-Shield family. Friga Shatter-Shield was one of the victims, and after her death the house was more or less abandoned. Her mother lent me a key so that I could get in, and I found quite a few intriguing items. One was an amulet that had been hid beneath a pile of papers concerning the Butcherer, the name that the locals gave the killer. The owner of the local museum, Calixto Corrium, identified it as an amulet that belonged to the court wizards. As it turns out, that was a lie. I confronted the courts wizard about it, and he said that it was an old necromancers amulet, and then went on to tell me that he believed he knew when the murderer would strike again." He finally stopped to take a drink from his glass, and Ekali frowned.

"That sounds very… suspicious," she said, careful to make sure he didn't take offence, but he merely nodded in agreement and put the glass down again.

"I agree. However, he was right. When I arrived at the marketplace, Corrium was just in the process of trying to butcher a young woman. I managed to stop him, thankfully, but I had to kill him to do it. It turns out that he'd been collecting body-parts to rebuild the woman he once loved." His eyes gained a far off expression, and he shivered slightly before turning them to Ekali again.

"Then it's definitely good that you caught him," Ekali said and shook her head slightly, accidentally bumping her hand into the now-empty bowl in front of her. She pushed it a bit further away from her so that it wouldn't happen again, and took a hold of her glass.

"Yeah," Shakh said, and then fell silent as neither of them knew exactly how to continue their conversation. "So, what about you? Where are you headed?" he finally thought to ask.

"Ustengrav. The Greybeards have asked me to acquire the horn of Jurgen Windcaller as a final… well, test, I suppose you could call it," she said and took another drink as the wolf by her feet moved his ears a bit and turned his head around to better see what was going on in the room.

"So, where did you find the wolf? You rarely see them kept as pets or war-animals these days, and even when you do, they're rarely very loyal." Gladio started growling when the word pet left the orc's mouth, and Ekali smiled as she put a cautioning hand on his head.

"First of all, he's not really a pet. He's my companion and a friend who has helped save my life on many occasions, and I'd never have gotten this far without him. And as for where I found him, it was around five years ago, when I'd been posted in Bruma for seven years. A lone wolf had been harassing both hunters and shepherds around the Jeralls, stealing food and hunting cattle. It was threatening to leave a lot of people without any means of survival, so I was tasked with tracking and killing it. Only, the wolf was female, and once I killed her I found that she'd been feeding cubs. So I followed her tracks back to the den, and found three dead pups, as well as this guy." Ekali reached down to scratch Gladio's head as she spoke, and Shakh nodded. "I couldn't leave him, so I took him back to Bruma with me and fed him ground meat until he could eat properly on his own. Eventually, he got strong enough that he could join me on my outings, and once he did I quickly realised the worth of teaching him a few signs from the legion. Wolves rely a lot of instinct, I've noticed since, as it was like he'd been taught to fight in a pack, and only needed to do it for real for that training to kick in. Already from the beginning, he understood what I wanted much better than most humans, and seemed to want to do what he could to help. Humans have never been very good at reading khajiit body-language. In any case, it's been quite an experience to fight by his side, and he still continues to surprise me." She smiled as she looked down on the wolf, and he looked back up at her.

"There was a period when I'm guessing he became an adolescent, that he left me for a few months at a time. I followed him once then, and found that he was following a pack of wolves. They never allowed him to get close enough to do anything however, and so he always returned to me eventually. We've been travelling together for a long time now."

"I didn't know animals could be that loyal," he said with raised eyebrows. "There never where many animals in Orsinium, aside from those we hunted."

"Yeah, it's not very usual to keep other animals than farm animals or horses." She took a look around as she lifted the mug to her lips, and found that the amount of patrons had dwindled substantially since they entered. Her eyes went to the clock, which was showing that the time was currently half past nine in the evening. "Isn't it a bit early for business to decrease this much in a tavern?" Ekali wondered aloud, and Shakh merely shrugged, as he was almost as much of a newcomer as she was. A dark elf nearby had heard her however, and her eyes quickly found him once he started speaking.

"The streets of the Grey Quarter aren't safe at night, so most people try and lock their doors by ten o'clock. You'd be wise to do the same," he muttered in a melancholy tone. Her brows furrowed as she turned to answer him.

"Why? Aren't the guards patrolling the streets often enough?" she asked, and the dunmers' lips turned into a smile that fell short of reaching his eyes.

"Newcomer, eh? In Windhelm, anything that ain't human is fair game, has been for a long time. Miss, the guards help the criminals if we're the victims. It's a bit better if you're a orc, khajiit or argonian, but not much." Dark red eyes met hers as her mouth popped open in shock and she just stared at him for a while before regaining her tongue.

"But doesn't the Jarl do something about it?" she uttered incredulously, and bitter smiles spread through the tavern as most were now listening to the exchange.

"Jarl condones it, he doesn't care about us. No, we're knife-ears, good for nothing but servants work," the man snarled, and Ekali's ears flickered backwards involuntarily as hate filled his eyes. Silence descended on the tavern as she sunk back into her chair. Shakh was watching the fire, troubled look in his eyes, and most of the other patrons were looking at the floors or staring into thin air. Some remembering past offences, some hoping nothing would happen when they made their way home and wishing that they were less sober. The few Nords present stared at the floor in shame. Finally, the barkeeps gaze wandered to the clock, and he snapped to attention once he saw the time.

"Okay people, time to be getting home, we don't want anything to happen," he said, and most eyes flickered to the clock before they rose from their chairs and left through the doors. The dark elf who'd answered Ekali's question nodded to her in greeting, and she raised her hand to him slightly before he headed out. After a while, only the ones who were sleeping in the building were present.

"I should be getting to bed, I've got some people who asked if I'd help them with repairs tomorrow, and I have a feeling that it'll be a long day," Shakh finally said as he rose from his chair, and Ekali started slightly before looking up at him, so absent where her thoughts from her current location.

"I'll retire as well, I have to leave early tomorrow. Have a good night," she said and they shook hands with uneasy smiles.

"You have a good night as well," he uttered uncertainly, and she smiled slightly warmer back at him, not allowing her exterior to show any of the fear she felt. _If only he knew…_

Then he turned and headed up the stairs, and she bade good night to Ambarys and Malthyr before she followed him and went to her own room.


	29. Dezhahnu 2

**28th-29th Last Seed**

For once, the khajiit's breath was calm when she awakened in the dream-scape, and she sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Then she blinked a few times, and seeing the dragon perched on a rocky outcropping further away, she got to her feet.

"Drem Yol Lok Golgronfron. I see that you came through your fight with Feynahkril without any mayor wounds." [Greetings, Golgronfron.] The great dragon gazed down upon her as he spoke, wings not quite folded against his body in the mild wind of the late evening.

"Greetings, Mirmulnir. Have you seen him?" she asked as she looked around the plateau and the skies around it. Above her, the dragon smiled.

"Yes, I have. He's here somewhere, exploring his new home. Waiting for you to come, incidentally," the great beast said as his eyes swept over the skies

"Dovahkiin," [Dragonborn] a voice rumbled behind her as the other dragon came gliding down through the clouds, swinging around and landing beside them without even a slight rumble in the ground. "Also the cause of my defeat, it would seem." She'd turned around when he landed, and both Mirmulnir and the khajiit were now watching the latest arrival. "Zu'u Feynahkril, but you know that already." [I am Feynahkril] There was a trace of amusement in his voice, and it was reflected by the glint in his eyes.

"Drem yol lok, zu'u Golgronfron," [Greetings, I'm Golgronfron] she answered him after a moment, bowing her head down in his direction. He smiled at that, and lowered his own head in greeting.

"Ah, so you do speak some of our language. Pruzah." [Good.] He smiled wider for a moment as he came closer, lowering his head so that it came to rest before her. "However, I already know who you are. You are Dovahkiin, the dragon trapped in a mortal body." He raised his head again, backing away from her. "It was in spite that my lord first called you Golgronfron, for you are a dragon bound to earth, and as such your presence is unlikely to make any difference in the coming days." He bared his teeth at her, still smiling. She frowned, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Why do you say that? And who is your lord?" she asked, and he leaned his head to his right as he watched her.

"Because it is the truth. Your name is as much a curse as we can accomplish using the voice. It is a way of calling you weak. For the fate of the world will not be decided by those forever condemned to walk the earth. It will be decided in the skies above, and the power of the Voice shall be the deciding factor when the last blow is dealt. My lord is Alduin, and you will meet him one day, if you survive that is," he rumbled, smiling threateningly as he leapt into the air, using his strong wings to catch onto an up-draft that brought him away from them.

"What did he mean?" she asked as she turned to Mirmulnir and found that he'd been watching her.

"In part, he meant that though you have a dragons soul, there is very much about us that you have yet to understand, many things you'll never understand. You are extremely young by our counting, and have yet to go through our coming of age trial. The rest, well, I expect you will hear more of that eventually." Mirmulnir sighed and laid down onto the mountain, putting his head down to rest onto his front feet.

"Coming of age?" she asked, puzzled.

"Yes. Every user of the voice does one day loose the control of their powers. When it happens to a dragon, it is the sign that the child is ready to become an adult, and the child heads to the north, to the lair of the ancients. We do not speak of what happens there, but it is where you learn to control the voice, and whatever else the ancients have decided." He closed his eyes, not bothering to look at her when he spoke.

"Have a dragonborn ever gone through it?" she asked after a short while, genuinely curious of the trial.

"A few, the one you know as Talos was one of them. You might go there one day, should you survive that long."

"The greybeards told me of how most of the have lost their control of the voice, and it seems a very steep price to pay." Ekali said as she looked up at the great dragon.

"The Voice is a great power, and they were never meant to use it. All power comes with a price. For most the price is a trial. One that changes you, and one that some wish they never had gone through. For others, the price is never to talk, unless you are willing to take the risk of hurting those around you. It is the price that Akatosh decided for his children, and it is a price that we have accepted. To not go through with the trial is to condemn yourself to a solitary life, and if not that, then death." His eyes opened again and he watched her as he spoke. When he finished, the khajiit merely stood there for a while, thoughtful as she watched the dragon stretch his wings and neck.

"How many dragons are there?" she asked suddenly, and he turned his head towards her again, thinking quickly before answering.

"I do not know. In Skyrim, I doubt there are more than twenty. And many of us have spent the last century or so sleeping. There used to be many more, but most were either killed by the ancient blades or fled to other lands. Their bones lie buried beneath the ground you tread by day. Of course there aren't only dragons in Skyrim though; far to the north in Iisfrod [Icefield], thousands of dragons live at peace with the land around them. There we can hunt, live and raise our young without worry that the inhabitants of Tamriel will hunt us down. For they do not live there, and they have not done so for a very long time." He smiled slightly as he spoke, for the words conjured many old memories for the old dragon.

"Why do you say 'they', I'm one of the people of Tamriel as well," she asked with furrowed brows.

"Your body may be, but not your soul. You are a daughter of Akatosh. And though only he can know exactly why you have the body of a khajiit, I do know that you are what you are for a reason." He looked her straight in the eyes as he spoke, and when no answer came from her, Mirmulnir yawned and placed his body in a more comfortable position before closing his eyes.


	30. 5.4 Deep Beneath the Snow

**30th Last Seed**

She bent her head down in the cold wind, shifting her bearskin hood so that it caught the snow that tried to get in her eyes. Muffled footsteps sounded nearby, but she didn't look around to see the wolf as she knew the futility of that endeavour. Though it wasn't the worst snowfall she'd experienced, it certainly didn't fall far behind, and as such she was keen to get out of the biting wind.

After a while, the faint crackling of a fire reached her sensitive ears, and Ekali raised her head to look into the storm. According to her compass she was heading straight north, which should lead them to the tomb Ustengrav within the day. She hadn't expected to meet other travellers on the way, especially not since she'd already left the main road. She drew the great-sword off her back when an orange light appeared in the white landscape, and a soft growl reached her from Gladio's direction.

They came upon the camp suddenly. One second there was nothing but snow swirling around the khajiit, and the next a tent appeared not half a meter before her. A male Nord was sitting next to it, and he started violently when he saw her silhouette through the snow. He yelled out and put his hand on the axe by his side as he struggled to rise, but she was quicker, and thrust her short-sword through his neck. He barely had time to look surprised before he sunk to the ground with a gurgling sound.

Then the camp came to life, as a sword was drawn somewhere in front of Ekali, and with a roar another human came rushing at her. The khajiit barely had time to react, and then Gladio leapt through the air, pushing the human down into the snow as his jaws clamped down onto the woman's arm and she gave of a shriek that was distorted by the storm. Ekali froze momentarily, but her eyes were soon drawn from the deadly struggle as sparks crackled to her left. Moments after her eyes went wide with the realisation, instinct kicked in and she threw herself onto the ground, fur bristling from the electricity that passed just over her head. Then she pushed herself up of the ground, and unable to find the short sword in the snow, she conjured up her flame spell before casting it at the last bandit with both hands. The man's thick clothing lit up easily, and he screamed into the air, but just like those of his companions the sound did not travel far, and he soon crumpled to the ground in a charred heap.

Ekali drew a deep breath as she lowered her body onto the ground next to one of the tents, trying to get her frantic heart to calm down. Not being able to see anything but snow around her, she was surprised to feel the cold metal underneath her hand, and looked down to see her short-sword peeking out from a snowdrift. She picked it up and wiped it off with a cloth she produced from her armour, before once again sheathing the weapon. Then she looked around once more, and found that Gladio was standing on some stone further away.

She got to her feet as quick as she could in the heavy snow-fall, and walked up next to the animal on the stone. Before them, the stone gave way to a large pit, and on the far side a staircase of stone was visible. Ekali sighed in relief and brushed her hand over the wolf's fur, for it was the entrance to the tomb of Ustengrav. He glanced up at her, and she stepped clear of the edge before walking around so that she could walk down the stairs.

There wasn't as much snow or wind in the pit, and she brushed the snow out of the fur on her head as she flicked her ears in relief and approached the metal door. It made a lot of noise when she pushed it open, and Ekali was happy to find that there where no bandits, except for the body of one, inside the door. However Gladio, as soon as he'd gotten inside and taken a sniff off the air, angled his ears backwards and barred his teeth before stalking slowly down the corridor. At his silent warning, the khajiit perked her ears, and upon hearing the faint noise of footsteps from further in, drew the bow of her back, strung it and fitted an arrow to the bow before following after the animal.

As they travelled further down the corridor, the noises became louder and louder, with two voices arguing with another. When they finally rounded the last corner, a large room opened up before them, covered in darkness. Ekali activated her night eye ability before sweeping the room with her eyes, quickly spotting the three humanoid shapes at the far end. A man and a woman in dark robes, as well as a man in fur clothing. But lights swirled around his shape, and he merely stood there, slumped over slightly, as the two mages argued.

Ekali drew the bowstring taught as Gladio stopped a couple of strides in front of her, body hunched down in preparation for leaping at the humanoids. She aimed first at the man in the robe, as he was the closest to her location, and then held her breath just before releasing the arrow. The projectile struck him just under the chin, and he went down with a muted gurgle as blood spilled from the new wound on his throat. The woman spun at the noise, eyes searching the darkness as the newly animated body by her side raised its axe. Her eyes found the khajiit just as she released a second arrow, and the wolf bounded forward after it. The arrow hit its target in the shoulder, and the mage yelled out in rage, casting her spell and sending a cloud of frost in in the dragonborn's direction as the body of the bandit began to run towards her. Gladio collided with the dead bandit when he'd gotten halfway across the room, and Ekali threw herself to the side, only just escaping the freezing cold of the spell.

When she got up again she left the bow on the ground and drew her great-sword from its scabbard as she shouted; " _Wuld!_ " and was propelled towards the mage. Slightly disoriented by the motion, the Altmer female's next spell caught her in the shoulder, and the khajiit staggered momentarily, grunting in pain as she swung her sword at the elf's' neck.

The woman, having put up a shield spell only moments before, fell backwards and put her hand to her neck, finding that a thin line of blood was seeping out of the new cut on her neck. She glared at the khajiit, but that was all she had time for before Ekali thrust the sword through her chest, and she went limp moments after.

Ekali took a deep breath, finally able to relax somewhat as she turned to look for the wolf, and saw him padding up to her on light feet. A pile of dust lay behind him, still glowing slightly blue, she saw, when she turned off her night eye ability. She bent down to wipe her blade free of blood on the mage's robes before sheathing the weapon and grabbing the corpse by the ankles, then proceeding to drag the bodies away and dump them in a niche in the wall. Gladio was already laying down when she got back, and she smiled slightly as she rolled out her bedroll and took out some food to eat for dinner.

* * *

She stepped carefully over the uneven ground, listening closely to the hissing and creaking from the skeletons that were ambling around on the plateau further below. The cave that stretched out before her was immense, and Ekali took a moment to admire it from where she stood on the walkway. She held her bow in one hand, an arrow in the other, ready to fire almost at a moments notice.

When Gladio looked back, wondering why she'd stopped, Ekali put the arrow against the bow and aimed at a skeleton that was at the moment very isolated from the rest. It was just heading past the lower end of the walkway when she released the arrow, and went tumbling to the ground in a shamble, bones clattering against the hard floor. For some reason, none of the other creatures reacted to it, and the khajiit was free to nock another arrow without any hurry.

She picked them off one after one from her perch on the walkway, without having to worry about being discovered. Once that was done, Gladio finally relaxed, and Ekali slung her bow over her shoulders as she walked down onto the platform below. A throne-like chair stood further away, but the khajiit turned to the right where two pathways lead even further into the crypt. The closest one was a bridge that reached over a large abyss, and ended a couple of meters away from an iron gate and three standing stones. The further one spiraled down into the abyss, and only a few treetops could be glimpsed down below, though she could clearly hear the sound of rushing water.

She was pondering which path to choose when whispers began to reach her ears. Whisper of the dragon tongue. Incomprehensible to her at the moment, but calling for her none the less. Then Ekali was startled from her thoughts when the male wolf suddenly let of a short bark and bounded of down the path that was further away. She merely gaped for a moment before reacting, at which point she took a firmer hold around her bow before running after the animal, not wanting to call out in case it would attract any unwanted attention.

As she descended the path, both the trees and whispers grew closer, and a large stone formation appeared amongst the trees. The running water turned out to be a waterfall that ended in a small lake at the bottom. She came to a stop finally, and while standing on the cold earth she could clearly see Gladio lying by the water and the great stone, at which point the origin of the whispers became evident.

Standing before her was a wordwall, which even though it was hidden from the world above, called out to the dragons soul within her.

Stepping forward, she left her pack and bow by the water, transfixed by the wall as the whispers grew in volume and her field of vision narrowed. And for the first time, amongst all the powerful voices that brought her to her knees, she could finally understand a part.

_There is power in knowledge, and you'd do well to remember that, child._

It was followed almost instantly by another word, _Feim_. Fade, she knew instantly that it meant, and if used as a shout it could allow her to pass through danger unscathed for a short time.

When she became aware of her surroundings again, Gladio was standing before her, whining in worry, but calming down when she met his eyes and reached out with a hand to scratch him between the ears. The next noise he made was one of pleasure, before she rose to her feet and surveyed the low reaches of the cavern.

No danger was apparent, and the wolf laid down on the shore again and closed his eyes, so she turned to the water. Sticking her hand in after removing the gauntlet revealed that it was a hot spring, and unable to resist the temptation Ekali began to remove her armour to bathe.

* * *

The female khajiit kept her sword held high as she pushed open the wooden door, eyes sweeping the new space for spiders or draugr as her breath came in short bursts. Gladio was just as alert, ignoring the spider blood that covered his muzzle as he made sure no other danger would leap at the from the dark of the crypt. But there was only a gate on the other side of the door, an iron gate and a chain, presumably to open the gate.

Ekali took her sword in one hand as she stepped up next to the gate and pulled on the chain, causing the iron bars to raise into the roof, and allowing the wolf to stalk into the chamber beyond. And it was a large one, the khajiit saw when she stepped through herself, and began to head down the stairs. A large chamber with only one path to walk, ahead.

The path was lined by water, dark water through which she could see no bottom, and at the far end of the path stood some kind of altar. As she approached it, the ground shook suddenly, and great statues rose from the water on her sides.

She gaped at them for a few moments, and when it became clear that no danger was about to appear the khajiit sheated her great-sword over her back before heading along the path. The wolf padded along behind her as she approached the altar, and she frowned when she came close enough to see what laid on it.

A hand of stone rose straight up from, shaped as if to hold something. But instead of the horn that she had expected to find, there was a paper. She looked around briefly before reaching her hand out to pik it up, and nothing changed as she did so. The paper seemed new, not at all the kind that could have lain in a crypt for centuries. Opening the note and reading it caused her lips to draw back as she bared her teeth in annoyance and narrowed her eyes.

_Dragonborn -_

_I need to speak to you. Urgently._

_Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you._

_\- A friend_

Ekali crumpled the paper, dropping it on the ground as she gave of a weary sigh and sat down next to the altar. Her left hand took of the helmet before she ran her right through her fur, took a deep breath and looked up at Gladio.

"It seems we'll be heading back to Riverwood next boy," she said, and he tilted his head in curiosity. The khajiit merely put her helmet on again before standing up and heading to the door behind the altar.


	31. 5.5 The Attic Room

**2** **nd** **– 3** **rd** **Hearthfire**

They arrived in Whiterun in the afternoon, and Ekali having thought of where to sleep for quite some time headed up towards Dragonsreach to speak with the Jarls' steward. She'd much preferred to stay away from the place since they'd made her a Thane, but she needed somewhere to store her things, as all the items she found during her travels took up far too much space in her pack. The best option for it was to buy her own house, and having counted her coin the night before, she knew that she had enough. The guards nodded to her in recognition as she walked past, and Ekali returned the gesture without really thinking about it.

As she stepped in through the great doors and they swung shut behind her, a few glances were sent her way. But the eyes were soon averted, and heading up the wooden steps alerted her to the cause. Around the throne a group of people had assembled. Irileth and Avenicci stood on either side of the throne, and Hrongar stood just next to Avenicci. There where also the heads of the clans Battle-Born and Gray-Mane, as well as Commander Caius and another man whom she didn't recognise – both of them wearing the garb of the city guard. Though she wasn't close enough yet to hear what exactly they were talking about, she could clearly hear the mix of anger and frustration in the Jarl's voice, as well as see the frown upon his face.

As she came closer, Proventus Avenicci spotted her and alerted the group to the Thane's presence, which brought the discussion to an abrupt stop. Because of all the attention that was now turned to the khajiit, she had no choice but to step before the throne as the men crowding it stepped apart to allow her to stand with them.

"Thane Ekali, I take it you've been to see the Greybeards," Jarl Balgruuf said in greeting, and Ekali ignored the discomfort of standing in front of so many people as she answered.

"Yes, my Jarl. I travelled to High Hrothgar and the Greybeards began my training and trial," she said and the Jarl nodded.

"I see. So you have not finished it yet, I take it," he said.

"No, Jarl Balgruuf. There is another task I have yet to complete before they will recognise me as the Dragonborn." He nodded as the rest watched.

"I see. Now, what are your business here in Dragonsreach?" he asked, and she squirmed slightly where she stood.

"I wish to buy a house here in Whiterun, and intended to speak with Avenicci about it," she said as the Jarl raised an eyebrow. He did not comment however, but turned to Avenicci.

"Very well, I'm sure we can make do without the steward for a little while." He gestured to Proventus, and the man inclined his head to the Jarl before turning to Ekali. He motioned for her to follow, then headed to the staircase to the upper levels. The Jarl resumed talking as they walked up the stairs.

"There is currently only one house for sale in the city. It's called Breezehome, and is situated only a few houses away from the city gates." When they reached the top, he headed past the map-table to a safe in the wall, talking as he unlocked it. "The price for the house is 5000 thalms, and for an extra fee you can buy several upgrades to the furniture. The house comes with only the bare essentials, and an extra bed for your housecarl." Having removed some papers from the safe, he closed it again behind him, and the two of them went up to the table where he spread the papers out.

"What is the total cost of the upgrades?" she asked as he fetched a quill and a jar of ink.

"1800 thalms. These documents detail the exact contents of the furniture upgrades," he said and pushed a couple of papers closer to her as he began to fill out another. "There is a possibility that you might be allowed to expand the house in the future, should you have need of another room."

"Thank you, but I don't think that'll be necessary," she said, looking down briefly.

"If you say so," he answered, finally finished writing. He pushed a few papers across to her and pointed out some of the blank spaces with his finger. "If you could sign your name in these places." She did so, and he took them back as she reached into her coin-pouch to pick out a sufficient amount to pay for the house and upgrades. Avenicci accepted the money, then signed his own name on the papers before handing her one of them, as well as a key. "This is the deed and key to the house, and the furniture will be delivered and installed sometime during the next week. You might want to tell Lydia of your purchase as well, so that she can move her belongings from the barracks." Ekali nodded at all that, accepting the paper and key, and then winced at the mention of the housecarl's name.

"You wouldn't know where I can find her?" she asked as he began to put the papers together in a pile, and took both them and the money to the safe where he locked them in.

"She should be eating lunch in the Great Hall by now, unless I'm mistaken." Ekali nodded, and then the two of them left the map-table and headed down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Proventus Avenicci once again joined the Jarl and his council, and Ekali walked past them to the dining tables. Lydia, her housecarl, sat furthest away from the throne, taking out all of her frustrations on the steak on her plate. When her eyes wandered and fell upon the khajiit, they narrowed, and she let go of the cutlery in her hands to get to her feet. The Nord was several feet taller than Ekali, as well as furious, but she ignored the impulse to cower and stood straight as she came to a stop before the housecarl.

"My Thane," the Nord greeted her stiffly.

"Lydia," Ekali said, just as rigidly. She took a deep breath as she thought of how to continue. "I just bought Breezehome down in the city, so you may move your belongings there when you have the time."

"Very well. When will we be leaving Whiterun?" the Nord asked, taking a deep breath of her own and doing a visible effort at calming down.

"I will be leaving as soon as I have stopped by the house and the market. You will stay in Whiterun and take care of the house, hunt or spar with the soldiers. Whatever you like." The Nord's eyes narrowed as the khajiit spoke.

"It is my duty to protect you, not be your housewife," the housecarl snarled in answer, and the khajiit's eyes narrowed in return.

"It is your duty to follow my orders."

"And how do you expect me to do that if you're killed in battle?"

"I am more than competent enough to take care of myself, and I never go to battle alone."

"A wolf is of little use in a real fight," the nord woman sneered, and Ekali's face tightened dangerously as her lips drew back from her teeth.

"And who are you to be the judge of that?" the khajiit snarled. "You may do with your time as you wish, but you are not joining me on my next journey. That's an order," she snapped before pushing past the housecarl and striding stiffly through the hall to the door. Despite the low volume of their argument, several of the guards had overheard it, and they where standing nearby, watching silently when the khajiit finally lost her temper and left Dragonsreach. As the door slammed shut behind her, the housecarl uncurled her fists and sat down in her chair again, anger barely restrained. She looked at her meal for a moment before finally pushing it aside and rising to her feet, having lost her appetite.

* * *

Their feet found the bridge outside Riverwood around noon of the following day, and Ekali's eyes swept over the small settlement. It only contained a general goods store, a smithy, a mill, an inn, barracks and six commoners houses, but the streets were full of people all the same. Sitting exactly where travellers from Falkreath, Helgen and Cyrodiil had to travel to get to Whiterun, it had become a flourishing traders community.

The Sleeping Giant inn lay in the middle of settlement, just by the main road and facing the river. It was where travellers spent the night and locals winded down after a long day at work. She'd already been there once, when joining Ralof for a drink after they'd escaped from Helgen. Before all of the dragon business. Now, it was her goal for the trip, and Ekali pondered it as she stepped up the short stairs to the door. A man sat on the bench next to it, face turned to the sun with closed eyes. He opened them when he heard her footsteps, and she nodded in greeting before stepping through the door.

The establishment was sparsely populated in the morning, merely holding a few patrons who were eating breakfast and the owner - a female Breton - who was leaning against a wall further in. She straightened up when she felt the khajiit's eyes on her, and turned so that she could face the other woman.

"Can I get you anything?" the Breton asked when Ekali came closer, and she nodded as Gladio came to a stop behind her.

"Yes, I'd like to rent the attic room," she said, at which the other woman frowned.

"Attic room, eh? We don't have an attic room, but you may take number three. It's down that corridor," the Breton said, and Ekali sighed as she picked the necessary amount of thalms out of her pouch and accepted the key from the woman. Then Ekali followed the other woman's instructions, soon reaching the small room where she was supposed to stay. When she'd unlocked the door, she and the wolf headed inside, and she placed her pack upon the bed before sitting down herself. Having received no instructions about what to do once she arrived, the khajiit took out a book and began to read. Since there wasn't an attic room for hire, she could only assume that it was some kind of message, and she hoped that it wouldn't take too long until she found out exactly who'd left the note.

* * *

It was late in the evening when footsteps approached and stopped just outside Ekali's door, then someone knocked on it just loud enough for the sound to reach her ears before the door was opened from outside and a woman stepped inside. It wasn't until she stepped into the light thrown by the candle on the side table that Ekali could see the features of the Breton, the owner of the inn whom had previously rented her the room.

"So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about. I think you're looking for this," Delphine said as she took her hand out from behind her back and held out the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller for the khajiit to take. Ekali's ears slowly tilted backwards as she accepted the item and placed it on the bed, but the other woman didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "We need to talk, but we can't do it up here. Follow me." With that, the Breton turned swiftly and left the room, heading down the corridor to the common area in which the female khajiit had dined earlier.

Gladio followed Ekali with his eyes when she stood up and made to follow her, but she motioned for him to stay before she grabbed the sheath containing her short-sword and slipped out through the door; quickly locking it before hurrying after the other woman. When she reached the common room, she found it empty of people except for Delphine where she stood by a door on the other side of the room. As soon as her eyes fell on the khajiit, the breton opened the door and stepped through, leaving it open behind her for the woman who followed only a few moments later.

"Close the door, then we can talk," the Breton uttered as soon as Ekali had gotten through the door, and when the khajiit turned back towards the human woman she was stepping into a cupboard as a noise sounded as if though from a sliding door. Following after the blonde woman, the khajiit found herself in a small room with shelves, weapon racks and chests lining the walls. Plenty of potions and weapons could be seen, and in the middle there was a table with writing utensils and a map of Skyrim.

"The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right." Delphine walked around the table and leaned forward with her hands serving as supports on the table as the woman spoke, and Ekali's ears flickered lightly in return.

"So you're the one who took the horn," she merely said in answer, and the innkeeper raised an eyebrow.

"Surprised? I guess I'm getting pretty good at my harmless innkeeper act," she said, a small smile almost breaking through the cold exterior, but it was pushed down quickly.

"Well, here I am. What's with all the cloak and dagger?" Ekali asked as she stepped up in front of the table, eyes firmly on the other woman.

"You can't be too careful. Thalmor spies are everywhere, I wasn't going to put my life on the line if there was a risk that you're with them," Delphine said with a roll of her eyes.

"What do you want with me?" Ekali asked, ignoring the other woman's' reaction, still slightly vary in her presence.

"I didn't go to all this trouble on a whim. I needed to make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap. I'm not your enemy. I already gave you the horn. I'm actually trying to help you. I just need you to hear me out." The Breton sounded slightly exasperated as she attempted to explain herself, and Ekali nodded.

"Go on. I'm listening."

"Like I said in my note, I've heard that you might be Dragonborn. I'm part of a group that's been looking for you... well, someone like you, for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn, that is. Before I tell you any more, I need to make sure I can trust you."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Ekali asked as she narrowed her eyes at the Breton, prompting a huff of laughter to issue from the others' mouth.

"If you don't trust me, you were a fool to walk in here in the first place," she said, only her eyes betraying her amusement at the khajiit's comment.

"I might trust that you do not intend to kill me, but that doesn't mean that I will follow you blindly into danger," Ekali hissed out, and Delphine sighed.

"Fair enough. Any questions then?"

"Why did you take the horn from Ustengrav?" Ekali asked.

"I knew the Greybeards would send you there if they thought you were the Dragonborn. They're nothing if not predictable. When you showed up there, I knew you were the one the Greybeards sent, and not some Thalmor plant."

"Why are you looking for a Dragonborn?"

"We remember what most don't - that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragon-slayer. You're the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul. Can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?" Ekali's stomach churned at the woman's' choice of words, though she knew better that most how true it was.

"Yes, that's how I first learned I was Dragonborn."

"Good. And you'll have a chance to prove it to me soon enough." Delphine nodded slightly to herself, eyes flickering down to sweep over the map before looking back at the khajiit.

"So what's the part you're not telling me?" Ekali asked with a frown as she too looked down at the map briefly. Delphine sighed, and when Ekali's eyes met hers again the Breton bit her lip briefly before answering.

"Dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life. They weren't gone somewhere all these years. They were dead, killed off centuries ago by my predecessors. Now something's happening to bring them back to life. And I need you to help me stop it," Delphine said and the khajiit blinked in surprise. Mirmulnir and Feynahkril had mentioned nothing of the sort.

"What makes you think dragons are coming back to life?" Ekali asked.

"I know they are. I've visited their ancient burial mounds and found them empty. And I've figured out where the next one will come back to life. We're going to go there, and you're going to kill that dragon. If we succeed, I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"So where are we headed exactly?"

"Kynesgrove. There's an ancient dragon burial near there. If we can get there before it happens, maybe we'll learn how to stop it." Delphine stepped back from the table once she'd finished speaking.

"Very well. However, I need to visit the Greybeards before I go there, and I'm not leaving until the morning," Ekali said as she followed the other woman with her eyes.

"As you wish. Then I'll leave for Kynesgrove the day after tomorrow and meet you there," Delphine said as she interrupted her walk towards one of the chests and instead headed towards the stairs.


	32. Dezhahnu 3

**3rd – 4th Hearthfire**

The snow crunched loudly underneath her feet as she stepped closer to the edge, and when she was close enough she leaned out over it. Nothing but the pale clouds could be seen beneath, as if though a barrier existed between her perch and the rest of the world. Occasionally, a shadow would move through the mist as one of the dragons stretched their wings, but otherwise the world was silent, and though she wasn't cold where she stood in the snow, Ekali shivered lightly.

As she stood there, she pondered how it would feel to fall, whether Feynahkril or Mirmulnir would bother with catching her, and exactly how long towards the ground that the white barrier stretched.. For a moment, standing there on the edge, it was almost as if though she was alone in the world. Then the illusion was shattered as the flapping of wings came from far behind her, and she turned to see Feynahkril land on the other side of the platform.

"Dovahkiin. I trust you are well," the dragon greeted her with a nod of his head, and she inclined her head in return.

"As well as can be expected," she answered as she walked away from the edge. He gave her a bemused look that clearly conveyed his understanding as he folded his wings close to his body. She only came a few steps closer to the dragon, choosing then to increase her distance to the ledge while keeping the distance between them the same, and he let out a deep chuckle at the proof of her distrust.

"I'd have expected us to gain company here soon," the large dragon said as he sat back on his haunches in an attempt to appear less threatening. It failed spectacularly.

"You will soon enough," she uttered as she kept an eye on him, walking slowly across the snow. She finally came to a stop a few meters later, and though her eyes were pointed towards the horizon her attention did not leave the creature sitting nearby. "I heard something about the dragons, and I was wondering if it was true," she said, not meeting his gaze.

"The people of Tamriel have many rumors that pertain to us, but not all of them speak the truth." He watched her bemusedly as he waited.

"Vahzah[True]. That is why I'm asking," she said before looking back at him. "Is someone bringing the dragons back from the dead?" she asked, and was treated to the first look of surprise on his face since she'd killed him and absorbed his soul. He recovered quickly however, schooling his face.

"Ferviit [Curious]. And what reason have you found to believe that?" he asked, watching her closely as she frowned at him.

"None yet, though I'm looking for some. I was merely wondering if you could tell me something about it."

"There are many abilities available to our people of which you've never heard, Dovahkiin, be assured of that. Some have higher penalties than others, and some require a certain state of mind. I intend to say no more of the matter, except that you certainly were the first person to kill me," he said and paused momentarily, strangely hesitant. "Golgronfron," he finally finished, and seemed strangely content when he once again unfolded his wings and took to the skies. She watched him go, not really moving until Mirmulnir came gliding in through the mist at her side, eyes on her as he landed.

"I would excuse our zeymah[brother], but it would be of little use," the dragon said as he shook his head to be rid of the gathered water, almost reminding her of Gladio for a moment. "You wonder of our return. Faal yoriik do faal dovahhe[The march of the dragons]. It is true that few of us survived the persecution of the Blades, but how the others are back I could not say." Had he been a man, Mirmulnir would most likely have shrugged, but instead he tilted his head slightly as his eyes swept across the dreamscape.

"When last Alduin flew across the skies of Keizaal[Skyrim], I served as one of his lieutenants. Now, I am dead before the fighting has begun." He turned his eyes to the khajiit. "Do not mistake my loose tongue for loyalty, Dovahkiin. I will provide you whatever counsel I may offer, but I do not think you will win this. Alduin is the World-Eater, and were you to destroy him I would be very surprised." Ekali met his eyes as he spoke and found nothing but truth in his level stare. She held his gaze until he broke it, as with a flap of his wings he took flight from the plateau. And though he left, her eyes followed him until the clouds hid him from the eyes of the dragonborn. First when she was certain the dragons wouldn't see her did Ekali allow the shiver to course through her body, and a deep breath filled her lungs as she turned her face towards the sky.


	33. 6.1 Dovhasebrom

**6th Hearthfire**

The light snow fall that had been going on ever since she reached the snowline of the mountain had left a light cover of white upon her silver-coloured armour and fur hood, and when Ekali finally pushed the door to High Hrothgar open it was with a sigh of relief that she dropped the sack of supplies she'd brought from the village onto the stone floor and pushed the hood back to fall over her shoulders. The afternoon sun, half blocked by the snowfall, valiantly shone in through the small windows that where set high in the walls, aiding the lit braziers in lighting the vast space, and fell partly upon the Greybeard whom had begun to rise to his feet when she entered. Now he faced her, and Ekali slid her equipment of her shoulders as she walked further in, opening her bag to extract the horn.

"Ah! You've retrieved the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Well done." Arngeir said as he approached and accepted the horn from her gauntlet-clad hands. "You have now passed all the trials, and it's time to recognize you formally as Dragonborn." Arngeir examined the horn for a moment before placing it on a pedestal out of the way as his fellow Greybeards entered the room at a slow walk. "It also means that you are ready to learn the final word of Unrelenting Force, 'Dah', which means 'Push'." Arngeir gestured towards Wulfgar, and yellow eyes turned to the other Greybeard as he came to stand near them before speaking the word. It appeared before them on the floor in the draconic script, and as Ekali stepped closer it began to glow orange and voices rose around her. They rose to a crescendo before abating, leaving her only the Word. Dah.

"With all three words, this Shout is much more powerful. Use it wisely," Arngeir said as she turned her eyes back to Wulfgar, and he bowed his head as the knowledge of Dah's use flowed from him to her, taking on a form as if though it was burning mist as it passed into the woman. When the power finally abated and the space was once again lit up only by the rays of the sun and the fires of the braziers, Arngeir spoke once again. "You have completed your training Dragonborn, and we would Speak to you now, as only we can. Stand between us and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards, but you are ready." As he spoke, he moved to complete the circle formed by his fellow Greybeards around the carved pattern in the floor, and Ekali took the few steps required to place her between all of them. Then she merely looked on as all of them simultaneously opened their mouths, and began to Speak.

" _Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau. Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, Dovahkiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth. Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok._ "[Long has the Storm Crown Languished with no worthy brow to sit upon. By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of old. You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North. Hearken to it.] As the room shook underneath the power of their voices and Ekali struggled to remain one her feet, her memory was drawn back to that day that seemed so distant now, when the distant call of _Dovahkiin_ had drawn the attention of both her and the people, and she had first been called Dragonborn by the Jarl of Whiterun. She hadn't seen what they'd seen then, whatever power she possessed had seemed foreign to her, but perhaps this was finally the proof she required.

As the Greybeards fell silent, and the world ceased shaking as though a chasm was about to open up underneath her feet, Ekali's eyes were drawn to the spokesman of the Greybeards, and his was drawn to her. "Dovahkiin. You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards, and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you," he said finally, inclining his head in unison with the others as a sign of respect, and Ekali nodded in return as all the Greybeards turned towards other parts of the building, to continue whatever chores her arrival had interrupted.

* * *

Having shed her armour and weapons in her temporary quarters Ekali sat at the old table clad only in her simple clothing and leather boots as her eyes scoured the page of the old book before her. The writing was a mixture of old Tamrielic and the Dragon tongue, and every now and then she'd pause and her brow would furrow as she thought of the meaning of the words.

Her concentration was broken after a time as cloth moved across stone in the doorway, and the khajiit raised her eyes to see Arngeir looking down at her. He paused for a moment as he noticed her before continuing into the cramped library.

"Have you found any information that answers your questions?" he asked as he sat down at the table across from her as she followed him with her eyes.

"No, I've only found more questions I'm afraid." One of her fingers began to tap against the table as she looked thoughtful for a moment before once again addressing the Greybeard. "This book seems to be one of several written by king Wulfharth, I don't know how long ago. He speaks quite a lot of his encounters in Dezhahnu and his gradual loss of control over his Thu'um, and though it is never expanded upon how it happens, he eventually stops writing about them. At some point after he was crowned king he ceased writing for a rather long time, and when he picked it up again he'd ceased writing about either problem," she said as her eyes scanned the books pages, finally looking up to meet Arngeir's gaze.

"Yes, Wulfharth was crowned king of Skyrim in the first era. He studied here for a time before that, I believe. It is possible that there might be some way of regaining ones control of the Thu'um, many texts written by old Dragonborn seem to suggest that they accomplished it, but rarely is anything that might help one guess at the method mentioned. It is a well kept secret that they never told to the Greybeards." Arngeir simply watched her as she thought, having no need to refresh his memory of the old texts.

"But why would they keep that information from your order?" Ekali asked quizzically.

"Only the Dragonborn of old could answer that. Perhaps they did not trust my predecessors, perhaps it was too dangerous a process for them to ever want it to get out. Maybe the incident haunted them and they only wished to forget it. I doubt it is a question to which we will be given the answer within my lifetime," he said, and she nodded thoughtfully.

"Perhaps, or perhaps the reasons are simply beyond our comprehension."

"Are there any other questions you have been seeking an answer too?" he asked instead of continuing to pursue the subject, and Ekali gave a soft snort as she closed the book she'd been reading and fixed her attention upon the Greybeard.

"Only a hundred more," she said, and he smiled softly in response. "For most of my life I did as I was told. First by my mother and then by my superiors. I didn't question, not even when fighting next to the Thalmor and seeing them resort to torture to get the information they sought. Not when a quarrel with my Centurion saw me reassigned to the frozen landscapes of northern Tamriel. Now I find that questions is all that fill my mind, and the few answers I find only lead to more questions."

"Perhaps all you have to do is to ask them."

"And perhaps doing so would see my head placed upon another block." She drew in a deep breath, eyes finding one of the many small windows to seek the stars, but the night was cloudy and both braziers and torches burned brightly in the chamber. There was nothing outside but darkness. "Dragons are roaming the land, and a civil war is raging. Imperials and Stormcloaks fight each other when the Thalmor are the true threat and also the only ones who benefit from the war." Pausing for a moment, her eyes came down to meet his. "I have met Imperial soldiers who worship Talos in whispers as night sets in, soldiers who die with the name of the Ninth divine upon their lips, and yet they all follow the commanders who would dance to the tune of the Thalmor."

"Men finds comfort in familiar things," Arngeir said as he watched the Dragonborn, took in the sorrow and confusion that shone from her gaze.

"And when everything they find familiar is taken from them?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Some seek revenge, and some choose instead to make use of what they have left and begin anew." Her lips quirked up in a faint smile, though it did not reach her eyes. "The civil war is not your fight. You have other duties now," he said, and she only watched him for a few moments before rising to her feet.

"Indeed. It's time I retire for the night. Good night Arngeir," she said and turned from him. He returned the words as she was walking out the door and then lingered in thought for a few moments before going to bed.


	34. 6.2 Sahloknir

**9th Hearthfire**

When Ekali finally arrived at Kynesgrove in the late afternoon the sight that met her eyes spurred her on, and she jogged into the small settlement as her eyes searched the streets for Delphine. People were running every which way, yelling about dragons and for everyone to take cover. A small child staring at the sky above the entrance to the mines was grabbed around the waist by a large man and hoisted onto his shoulder before he hurried into the house upon which the tavern sign hung and another man was holding onto the leash of a dog that had flown into a panic, attempting to calm it.

"There you are, finally!" The words were called out from her left, and Ekali turned from watching the raucous to find Delphine jogging up to her. "There's no time to loose, the dragon flew by only a minute ago!" The woman practically had to shout to be heard over all of the noise, so the khajiit only nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Delphine didn't hesitate before setting off at a run towards the mines, then took the right path when the road forked just in front of them. Ekali followed right behind her, the wolf on her heels as they headed up the hill towards the beating of wings and the speaking voice that she'd only just begun to hear. When they crested the hill and rounded a large rocky outcropping the burial mound was clear to see before them. But above it, great wings beating the air to keep it aloft, a black dragon looked down upon the mound as he spoke.

"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse! _Slen tiid vo_! [Sahloknir, ever-bound dragon spirit! Let your flesh be unrotten!]" The last three words came out as a shout and the ground shook as the great skeleton of a dragon broke free from the earth and in fragments of light its body began to reform as it clambered out and turned to face the black dragon.

"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik? [Alduin, my overlord! An age past, did you not destroy the power of the ancient kings?]" Ekali kept her attention on the two dragons, placing her pack down in the cover of the great stone next to which they'd stopped and drawing her bow as Delphine muttered something in the background. Gladio kept his body low to the ground, tensed and ready to attack as his eyes kept watch over the two creatures.

"Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir, [Yes, Sahloknir, my trusted ally.]" Alduin said before turning his head to face Ekali, and she stilled underneath his penetrating gaze, stopping in the process of drawing an arrow from her quiver. "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi. [So, my false Dragonborn? I do not recognize you as dragon.]" Ekali found herself bristling at his mocking words.

"Vahr dreh hi lorot zu'u ulaak?[Why do you think I care?]" she called out, not truly realising she'd spoken in the dragon tongue until the words had already left her mouth. Alduin chuckled lowly in return.

"You speak such a garbled version of our tongue, Golgronfron, and yet you dare take for yourself the name of Dovah. You are but a mortal child playing at something it's not. Sahloknir, krii daar joorre. [Sahloknir, kill these mortals.]" He turned away from the two women just as Sahloknir turned his attention to them. Then Alduin beat his wings harder, angling them so as to carry him away from the impending battle as Sahloknir unleashed a bout of flame at the two females and then took to the air to gain the upper ground. Ekali and Delphine both ducked down behind the rock to escape the flames, then the khajiit nocked an arrow, attention fixed upon Sahloknir as Alduin flew off into the horizon. Delphine drew her own bow just as Ekali let her first arrow fly.

The arrow missed the great beast by inches and it let out a roar as it circled around, heading for the two of them as Ekali fumbled for another arrow and Delphine drew the string of hers back, releasing the arrow straight at the dragons chest before ducking down behind a stone as the dragon opened his mouth to Shout. " _Fus Ro Dah_!" It Shouted, and Ekali was thrown backwards away from Delphine. She landed on her back, bereft of her bow as she scrambled to get onto her feet and reorient herself. He'd cast her out into the open, away from the cover of the outcropping, and was once again turning the air to come at the Dragonborn. Preparing to cast her flame spell from both hands, Ekali drew on the power that she and Sahloknir both shared as he approached, head up and claws outstretched and reaching for her. He wasn't far away when she released the power.

" _Fus Ro Dah_!" The great shape wobbled in the air and the khajiit threw her hands forward, fire sprouting forwards from her hands at the motion and bathing the chest of the dragon in orange flames. The dragon deviated from his path, getting out of range of the fire to regain his equilibrium as the khajiit set of across the open space to the outcropping next to which Delphine stood in full view, letting loose arrow after arrow at the beast. She scooped her own bow off the ground as she did so, fitting an arrow to the bow as soon as she reached Delphine and turning to unloose it into one of the dragons' wings as he began to loose altitude and crashed into the ground.

A cloud of dust and debris rose into the air, and Ekali covered her face with her arm before once again shouldering the bow and drawing her great-sword from her back. When the dust cleared Sahloknir turned his head towards the two women, calculating gaze setting upon the khajiit.

"Mu lor ho wah kos do sobahlaan. Aalkos mu lost folaas.[We thought you to be of lesser worth. Perhaps we were wrong.]" The dragons voice rumbled as he spoke and Ekali's brow furrowed for a moment as she attempted to decipher the words. Her moment of inattention was however what he'd been waiting for, and she had to throw herself out of the way when he shouted. " _Yol Toor Shul_!" Fire bathed the ground where she'd been standing moments before, and Ekali's eyes sought out Delphine's form beyond the flames to ensure the other woman's safety as she got up on her feet again. She quickly found Sahloknir, his great form lumbering towards the two mortals, his attention taken up by the only perceived threats on the battle field.

Gladio came up from the side, his jaws clamping down on the dragons left wing, and it let out a roar of pain as the sensitive membrane tore, swinging its head around to bite the nuisance. But the wolf was gone before he could catch it, the animal's attack giving the women time to approach and strike at the dragon. Delphine's katana pierced deep into the hide of Sahloknir's chest, and Ekali's greatsword struck down on his neck. The dragon let out a final roar as it crumbled to the ground, the breton and the khajiit stepping back as it thrashed.

Finally the beast fell still and the khajiit wiped of her sword and sheathed it. "Well I'll be damned, you did it! That was well done. Come on. I've been wanting to get a closer look at one of these buggers," Delphine said as she walked up to the dragon, pulling out her swords before moving to take a look at the front. But she paused when the dragon began to glow as if it was burning from the inside. "Wait. Something is happening... gods above." The breton took several steps back as Ekali watched the light increase, growing into a stream of power and leaving the dragon nothing more than a pile of bones as it flowed in her body. Ekali breathed deeply as the voices overwhelmed her, as the dragons of old spoke in the dragon tongue of valiant battles and the thrill of the hunt. The pride of a parent and the knowledge that this, this was life.

Her eyes snapped open wide to see Delphine looking at her in increasing worry, the scope of her realisation taking a moment to settle in her mind. Because the voices spoke not of power or death, but of _life_.

"So, you really are... I... It's true, isn't it? You really are Dragonborn." Her attention was drawn back to Delphine at the woman's weak attempt at starting up a conservation and she merely nodded in response, not feeling up to talking just yet. "I owe you some answers, don't I? Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back." The breton was looking at Ekali with an awe that scared the khajiit far more than she'd ever admit.

"Who are you, what do you want with me? Why go to all this effort just to find me?" Ekali asked after a moment, and Delphine thought of her response as she found a cloth tucked away under her armour and used it to clean of her blade before sliding it back into its sheathe.

"I'm one of the last members of the Blades. A very long time ago, longer now than most remember, we were dragonslayers. We swore our loyalty to the Dragonborn, the greatest dragonslayers that have ever existed. For the last two hundred years, since the last Dragonborn emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now the dragons are coming back and our purpose is clear again. We need to stop them. I don't know if it's chance or the intervention of the Divines that brought you here, but whatever the reason we sure are grateful," she said as she looked back at the skeleton of the dragon, shifting from foot to foot for a moment before turning away.

"What do you know about the dragons coming back?" Ekali asked as she watched the breton, and Delphine gestured for the khajiit to follow as she walked away from the dragon and towards the spot where Ekali had left her pack.

"Not a damn thing, I'm sorry to admit. I was just as surprised as you to find that big black dragon here." Delphine sighed as she sat down on a stone. Ekali remained standing, hand reaching out to brush through Gladio's fur when he came up at her side.

"I've seen that dragon before, the one that got away," the khajiit finally admitted, thinking back to her first few days in Skyrim.

"Really? Where?" The surprise was evident in the bretons voice.

"It was the one that attacked Helgen, when Ulfric escaped from the Imperials."

"Interesting. Same dragon... Damn it, we're blundering around in the dark here! We need to figure out who's behind it all!" Delphine fisted her hands on her knees as she blew out a harsh breath.

"So what do we do next?" Ekali asked after half a minute, and when Delphine's eyes met hers there was a small smile of gratitude on her lips.

"Well, the first thing we need to do is figure out who's behind the dragons. I'd figure the Thalmor to be our best lead. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is," the Breton said thoughtfully.

"What makes you think they're involved?"

"Nothing solid. Yet. But my guts tells me it can't be anybody else. The Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened, the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"

"No one I can think of. And you are right, that sounds exactly like something the Thalmor would do," Ekali said as she finally sat down in the ground next to Gladio.

"Do you have any experience with them?" Delphine asked quizzically, and Ekali sent her a sharp nod.

"Yes. I only spent a short time on active duty before I was reassigned as a forester, but during that time I saw a lot of things I sometimes wish I hadn't. The Thalmor have never been good news to anyone," the khajiit said. "But why are they after you?"

"Before the Great War, the Blades helped the Empire against the Thalmor. Our Grand Master saw them as the greatest threat to Tamriel. At the time, that was true. Maybe it still is. So we fought them in the shadows, all across Tamriel. We thought we were more than a match for them. We were wrong." Delphine's voice was bitter, and though Ekali couldn't imagine the life of persecution that the Blades might have lead, she did know what it was like to loose everything.

"So, we need to figure out what the Thalmor know about the dragons. Any ideas?"

"If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy... it's the centre of their operations in Skyrim. Problem is, that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. They could teach me a few things about paranoia..." Delphine muttered the last sentence, and Ekali snorted in amusement.

"So how do we get in there?" she asked, and Delphine smiled bitterly.

"Subterfuge or a lot of bloodshed," the breton quipped and Ekali smiled. "On a more serious note, I'm not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but I'll need some time to pull things together. Meet me back in Riverwood. If I'm not back when you get there, wait for me. I shouldn't be long. Keep an eye on the sky. This is only going to get worse." As she spoke, Delphine stood and stretched her back briefly, nodding her greeting at Ekali that the khajiit returned as she got to her feet. Then the breton headed off down the hill, presumably to pick up her equipment at the local inn.


	35. 6.3 An Invitation

**12** **th** **– 14** **th** **Hearthfire**

"I don't think you were followed. Come on, I have a plan." Those words were the first greeting Ekali got when she stepped inside the door of the Sleeping Giant Inn, and then Delphine had turned on her heel and headed into her own room. Ekali quickly followed, sighing before telling Gladio to lie down by the fire and make sure no one followed them.

Once the two women were alone in the secret room and had closed the closet doors behind them the Breton didn't waste any time before launching into the subject of their previous discussion. "I've figured out how we're going to get you into the Thalmor Embassy."

"That didn't take long," Ekali said as the other woman rested her hands against the edge of the table, eyes quickly running over the map.

"I've been doing this a long time, remember? While the Thalmor's been looking for me, I've been watching them, and I've learnt far more than they have."

"So what's your plan? How do I infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy?"

"The Thalmor ambassador, Elenwen, regularly throws parties where the rich and connected cosy up to the Thalmor. You are a Thane of Whiterun. That comes with its own sets of responsibilities and perks. Of course they seem to have dispensed with most of the duties in your case. I doubt anyone would want to take up the important time of the Dragonborn, though it's also possible that they simply doesn't think you know anything about politics. Which, well, I really hope you do have at least a basic comprehension of royal etiquette, because you're going to need it." Delphine smiled sardonically at the khajiit at that. Ekali's eyes furrowed in confusion for a moment before the meaning of the words dawned on her and a look of horrified apprehension appeared on her face.

"Please tell me you're not telling me what I think you're telling me," the khajiit uttered.

"I'm afraid I am. I have a contact inside the Embassy who can get you into the private quarters when you're there and smuggle in some equipment, but you'll have to get in first. The most believable way for that to happen is for you to be a representative of Whiterun, so I really hope you know how to argue, because you're going to need the Jarls go ahead on this one." Ekali groaned in response.

"I'm going to need to wear a dress for this, aren't I?" she asked in a low tone, ears tucked close to her head.

"Yes, I'm afraid that'd be the most appropriate." Ekali sighed, then straightened up and met the Bretons eyes.

"Who's this contact of yours? How are you so sure that I can trust him?"

"His name's Malborn. Wood elf, plenty of reason to hate the Thalmor – they wiped out his family back in Valenwood during one of their purges that we never hear about. Luckily they don't know who he really is, or he wouldn't be serving drinks at the Ambassador's parties. Once you get that invitation he'll meet you in Solitude, at the Winking Skeever – you know it?" Ekali shook her head. "Well, it isn't hard to find. Give him everything you need smuggled into the embassy and then meet me at the Solitude stables. I'll make sure there'll be a carriage waiting for you."

"Once I'm inside the Embassy, then what?" Ekali asked.

"That's when the fun starts. You'll have to slip away from the party without raising the alarm. Then you'll need to find Elenwen's office and search her files. Malborn should be able to point you in the right direction." Delphine straightened up from the table as she met Ekali's eyes.

"Then I'll see you in Solitude."

"Sounds good. Be careful out there."

* * *

When Ekali walked into Dragonsreach early in the morning of the 14th of Hearthfire she was walking far too quickly and her fingers were tapping irregularly against her leg. She'd managed to keep her ears in an upright position and a few deep breaths had been enough to calm her heart, but the fear of failure was still prominent in her body language for anyone who knew how to read her.

Jarl Balgruuf was thankfully sitting on his throne, Proventus Avenicci and Hrongar standing on either side of him as the three of them spoke in quiet voices. Irileth stood further down the hall, idly talking to Lydia as the housecarl consumed her breakfast. Her ears twitched slightly at the sight of the housecarl, but she quickly turned her gaze back to the head of the room to see that both the Jarl and Hrongar had switched their attention to her.

Without looking at Gladio, she signed for the wolf to stay by the doors, and then walked up towards the throne when it was made evident that she wouldn't be interrupting the ceased conversation. "My Jarl," she greeted Balgruuf as she sank down on one knee and bent her head before once again rising.

"Yes, Thane. What brings you here?" the Jarl asked as most of the hall grew quiet.

"I have a rather urgent favour to ask of you. I need an invitation to the next party at the Thalmor embassy." The surprise was evident on both the Jarl and his advisers faces after she spoke and Hrongar's eyes grew calculating as he pondered the request.

"That's quite a sudden request. What business do you have with the Thalmor?" the Jarl asked, eyes glancing briefly towards Irileth who's walked closer to the dais and was making sure that no unwanted ears would hear the conversation.

"A friend of mine believes that they may have some information concerning the return of the dragons in Skyrim, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was true," Ekali answered, rolling her shoulders to release the tension as the Jarl thought.

"You're going to head into the Thalmor Embassy, go through their files to find out what they know about the dragons and somehow make it back out alive. What happens if they catch you? Better yet, what happens to us when they find out what you've done?" As Balgruuf spoke Ekali's eyes stayed firmly on him

"You tell them that you had nothing to do with it and that you certainly wouldn't have sent me if you'd known. If it appeases them, you put a bounty on my head." Four pairs eyes widened in surprise at that, Irileth being more than capable of hearing the conversation from her position just off of the dais.

"You'd take that risk? Why?" Hrongar finally spoke up, fixing his eyes upon the Dragonborn as she stared back unflinchingly.

"Because the two largest threats on this continent are the Thalmor and the dragons, they're both focusing their attention on Skyrim at the moment and I have no idea which is the greatest threat or if they're even connected to each other." Her eyes shifted to the Jarl. "I need the answer to that question, and the only place I'm going to get it is from the Thalmor. And I've seen enough of them to know that getting that information won't be easy." Resting his hands on his knees, Jarl Balgruuf watched her silently for a few moments before nodding and turning his head towards Avenicci.

"Write up a missive expressing my regrets that I could not attend the party personally, but that our newest Thane would be more than happy to pass along any messages and that I hope my absence does not cause any trouble," he said to the steward, and the Imperial nodded briefly before leaving the dais to do as asked. The jarl turned his eyes back to the khajiit as Proventus left them. "Do attempt not to make too much of a commotion," he said as Ekali nodded her thanks.

Ekali was walking towards the doors, missive and invitation packed away safely in her bag, when Lydia came at her from the side and took a hold of her arm. The female khajiit didn't protest the action as she was led off into a corner of the hall by the housecarl, waiting until they'd finally stopped to shrug of the Nord's grip and aim a glare at the woman.

"I'm going with you," Lydia ground out as the khajiit watched her, ears prickling with annoyance. "And don't tell me I'm going to get in your way, I already got that message."

"Look, I'm not trying to belittle your training or experience..." Ekali started before Lydia interrupted her with a glare of her own.

"Really? Well, that's exactly what it seems like you're doing," the housecarl said, and the khajiit sighed in exasperation.

"Do you have any experience at all in infiltration? Spying, sneaking, picking locks? That kind of thing. Generally just not making the kind of noise that would tell an elf or a beast that you're coming from a mile away," Ekali said, practically growling in annoyance, and Lydia's glare faltered as she attempted to come up with an answer. "Yeah, didn't think so," Ekali said as she started walking towards the door. Lydia's hand shot out quickly to stop her. The khajiit stopped and glared at her, causing the Nord to let go.

"Look, I realize that I have little to no experience in the kind of work you seem to be quite good at, but that doesn't mean that I can't help. I can't just stand back as you head heedlessly into danger. There must be something that I could do," she said, causing Ekali to sigh as she turned to face Lydia head on.

"Fine. You want to get involved that bad, I'm not going to stop you," Ekali said as she lifted her hand and ran the fingers through the fur on her head. "I've been going through some maps, trying to memorize the area around the embassy as I don't know how I'm going to leave it. Perhaps you could get a couple of horses, take Gladio with you and wait for me at the Statue to Meridia." Lydia nodded as the annoyance finally abated from her features.

"That I can most certainly do," the Nord said with a small smile, and Ekali rolled her eyes.

"Just don't wait any longer than the dawn of the following day. If I haven't gotten to you by then I'm probably caught, and then there won't be anything you can do to help me any more," the khajiit said, meeting Lydia's eyes with her own as she waited for some kind of confirmation.

"Fine," the Nord bit out as the slight smile vanished from her lips and Ekali nodded slightly before turning without a word and heading out of the hall.


	36. 7.1 Welcome to the Party

**21** **st** **Hearthfire**

True to Delphine's word Ekali had very little trouble finding the Winking Skeever once she'd finally arrived in Solitude. Situated on the main street, the inn was separated from the gates by only a few buildings, and the sign hung out over the street in full view from the gate. She made no detours before heading into the building, and once inside her contact was easy to find. There were all kinds of people in there, both eating and drinking, but only one wood elf sitting alone at a table near the door.

"Yes?" The Bosmer's greeting left much to be desired when the khajiit came to a stop beside him, his eyes not even straying from the half filled goblet in front of him. She didn't let the brusque greeting stop her as she slid onto the stool opposite him.

"Our mutual friend sent me," she said, and finally Malborn's eyes rose to meet hers over the table. His eyebrows rose and his lips twitched in blatant disbelief.

"Really? You're who she picked? I really hope she knows what she's doing." Shaking his head briefly, he took another drink of the goblet that her sensitive nose identified as containing wine before placing it back on the table and fixing her with an evaluating stare. "Here's the deal. I can smuggle some equipment into the Embassy for you. Don't plan on bringing anything else in with you. The Thalmor take security very seriously. Give me what you can't live without, and I'll make sure to get it into the Embassy. The rest is up to you." He took another drink as she nodded.

"You wouldn't happen to know what kinds of thing I might have use for in there, would you?" she asked and was met with a frustrated look in response.

"You're asking me? She promised she was sending someone who knew what they were doing..." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm asking you because I've never been in the Embassy before and haven't really got any idea of what I'm going to face," she ground out as she sent a glare his way. He paused in lifting the goblet to his lips, nodding in recognition of her statement.

"If you actually want to get out alive, I'd bring whatever you need to move quietly, and kill quickly. If you're discovered you're going to be swarmed with Thalmor wizards before you can even comprehend what's going on, and then Elenwen is going to get both of our heads served to her on a silver platter." He shuddered at the thought as Ekali shook her head at him.

"Alright," she said, standing up so as to be able to get her pack and weapons off of her back. Handing him the short-sword, the bow and the quiver she started rooting in her pack. After a few moments she withdrew a couple of potions, some lockpicks and her spare leather armour before placing them down onto the table in front of him. "There, that should be enough," she breathed out as she retook her seat, and he quickly looked over the items before withdrawing a sack from underneath the chair and stuffing them in it.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you at the party," he said as he stood up and hoisted the bag onto his shoulder.

"Yes, good luck," Ekali said as he headed towards the door.

"I'm not the one who's gonna need it." She only just heard his parting comment, and her lips quirked up into a smile as she rose from her seat and left for the stables.

* * *

When Ekali arrived at the stables Delphine was watching the road vigilantly from where she stood leaning against the old stone mill. Near her, but still out of the way of any workers, a carriage drawn by two horses stood. A young Nord was lying down on the seat, hands folded under his head. The Breton straightened up when she saw Ekali approaching, quickly checking their surroundings as she approached the khajiit. "Have you given Malborn the gear you want to smuggle into the embassy?" she asked as the two of them came within a few feet's distance of each other, and Ekali nodded shortly.

"Yes, he's all set." Delphine nodded in response, lifting the sack she held in her hand a few centimetres higher briefly to draw Ekali's attention to it.

"Good. I have your clothes for the party here. I trust that you had little trouble getting the invitation?" At Ekali's nod, the Blade continued. "Well then, put this on. When you're ready, I'll keep the rest of your gear safe until you get back. You'll only have access to whatever you told Malborn to smuggle in for you as well as whatever can be found in the building. Look, I don't know much about the embassy but what I do know is that it's made up of three buildings. You're going to see the barracks and the main house from the entrance courtyard, but it's unlikely that there's anything in the barracks that'll be of use. The party is in the main building and the guests will likely be confined to a couple of rooms but your goal is Elenwen's solar on the other side of the inner courtyard. So once Malborn gets you in you need to make your way, alive, across the heavily patrolled courtyard and into Elenwen's office in the solar. It's likely it won't take long until they discover you even if you do manage to avoid any bloodshed, so you'll need to move quickly once you leave the party."

"What kinds of guards are there at the Embassy?" Ekali asked as she accepted the sack from Delphine.

"Mostly altmer, though there might also be a couple of khajiit or bosmer. I doubt they'd have any Imperial soldiers at the Embassy, and Thalmor ranks only accept those three races. Why, do you think you could take someone's armour?"

"Possibly. It would solve the problem of crossing the courtyard if I could pull it off."

"Ambitious, but a good idea." Delphine nodded slowly as she thought it through. "It would give you considerably more time to search for any information."

"Yeah," Ekali said as she headed towards the mill, only glancing back briefly before she headed around to the back.

When Ekali came back she was dressed in a light green dress that reached down to her ankles. A grey sash and a darker grey belt held the dress tight around her abdomen. On top of that she wore a dark green over coat with brown lining and silver embroidery around the edges. The collar of the coat covered the lower part of her neck and was open so that her throat and the front of the dress was visible. The outer sleeves of the coat was embroidered with silver thread and on her feet she wore brown flat boots that were stylish but unremarkable. To complement the clothing she'd picked out a jade and emerald circlet and an amulet of Akatosh. "Hmm. I guess that will have to do. You should pass for a real guest, at least until you open your mouth. Ready to board the carriage to the Embassy?" Delphine said after she'd looked the dragonborn over.

"I'm ready. Keep this safe for me, will you?" Ekali asked as she handed over her pack and the sack that now contained her armour and great-sword.

"Don't worry, it will all be waiting for you when you get back. Just make sure you get back out of there alive with the information we need." Delphine accepted the equipment without protest and Ekali got onto the back of the carriage as the Breton headed up to the front and slapped her hand against the side of the carriage. The driver almost fell off the seat as he was startled out of his rest, but quickly regained his wits when he saw Ekali sitting in the passengers seat. Nodding at Delphine, he took a hold of the reins and spurred on the horses to start walking away from the stables.

It was almost dark by the time the carriage arrived at the Embassy. A cold wind swept across the court yard as Ekali got off of the carriage and her eyes swept the courtyard, landing on the guard at the entrance after only a few moments.

"Ah! A fellow latecomer to Elenwen's little soiree. And arriving by carriage, no less! I salute you, ma'am!" The male voice that called out for her caused Ekali's attention to waver from the entrance, and she looked around to find that a male Redguard was looking at her from his seat on some rocks of to the side. "My lateness is due more to getting lost on the way up this god-forsaken mountain than to any desire to actually arrive late. I prefer to arrive early. Often the day before the party. So as to not miss out on any of the drinking." Ekali flashed a smile in response.

"An admirable quest," she said, and the bearded Redguard chuckled lightly in response as the khajiit approached the door guard.

"Welcome to the Thalmor Embassy. Your invitation, please." The guard, a female Altmer with light brown hair, accepted Ekali's invitation without any further comment as she looked it over thoroughly. "Here on behalf of Whiterun?"

"Indeed, the Jarl was unfortunately unable to make it. But as the newly appointed Thane I volunteered to help Jarl Balgruuf on this matter."

"Very well, ma'am. Go right in," the guard said and handed the invitation back to the Khajiit. Ekali smiled slightly before walking past her and up the stairs.

The door swung open without any problems as she pushed down on the handle and light spilled out upon the darkening courtyard. As the Khajiit was stepping inside, she spotted an Aldmer woman clad in Justicar robes watching her. Ekali closed the door behind her as the woman ended her conversation with one of Skyrim's elite and approached her, stopping a few feet away in front of the bar behind which Ekali could see Malborn busying himself with various different bottles.

"Welcome. I don't believe we've met. I'm Elenwen, the Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim. And you are..?" As the other woman spoke, Ekali forced a smile to cross her lips as she reached out her hand towards the ambassador.

"My name is Ekali of the Frozen Heights, and I'm here on behalf of Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun. Pleased to meet you." A small smile crossed Elenwen's lips as her eyes remained stern and she accepted the Khajiit's hand and shook it.

"My, now you've really caught my interest. How did a Khajiit manage to become a Thane in Skyrim of all places?" Ekali was busily thinking of a better story than the truth before the ambassador had even finished her question, but only a moment passed before the wood elf bartender spoke up from the side.

"Lady Elenwen?" he asked, and as the ambassador turned her attention to the Bosmer Ekali let out a breath of relief before allowing her eyes to stray around the room for a bit. Though not as big as the interior of Dragonsreach the hall was quite large, and men and mer of all gender and sizes littered the room. Several soldiers also littered the room and though the majority of them were definitely Altmer there where also two Bosmer in the room.

"What is it Malborn?" Elenwen asked in exasperation, and Ekali forced her attention to return to the ambassador.

"It's just that we've run out of the Alto wine. Do I have your permission to uncork the Arenthia red..." Elenwen sighed as he talked, clearly not interested in talking about what to serve next.

"Of course. I've told you before not to bother me with such trifles." As the Ambassador spoke Ekali heard the Redguard coming in through the door and watched from her peripheral as he slipped past her and started mingling with the different guests, grabbing a drink off of a tray as he went.

"Yes, Madame Ambassador." Malborn lowered his head, eyes finding the floor as Elenwen turned her gaze back to Ekali.

"My apologies. We'll have to get better acquainted later. Please, enjoy yourself," the ambassador said as someone called her name from across the room, then her attention completely left Ekali as she headed towards whoever had called for her. Ekali closed her eyes momentarily in relief before she walked up to the bar and leaned up against it. As she did so she noticed that the Redguard had taken a seat on a bench along the wall, and every now and then he'd try and strike up conversation with one of the waiters when they walked past, looking more and more annoyed for every time they ignored him.

"What can I get for you?" Malborn said with a loud enough voice to be heard above the din. Then he continued in a whisper as he picked up a glass and wiped it off with a cloth. "You made it in. Good. As soon as you distract the guards, I'll open this door and we can get you on your way. Let's hope we both live through this day."

"Give me two goblets of whatever alcoholic drink you've got on hand, and then get ready. We'll have that distraction soon," Ekali said quietly as he took out two goblets and filled them up with some wine before handing them over to her.

"Of course. Let me see if we have another bottle of that. I'll be waiting by the door for everyone to be distracted." Ekali nodded as she accepted the goblets, then turned towards where the Redguard was sitting and walked over to him. What he was saying only got clearer as she drew closer to him.

"What does a fellow need to do to get a drink around here?" The Redguard uttered in a frustrated tone, and Ekali smiled as she took a seat next to him and handed over one of the goblets. "Ah, pardon me, friend. I didn't see you. And how incredibly generous of you!" he said as he accepted the goblet and took a long drink right of the bat. Ekali stared at him for a moment before shaking her head to clear it. "Allow me to introduce myself: Razelan. Imports and exports, by trade. Observer of human nature, by avocation," he said as he held out his hand to her, and Ekali shifted her drink into her left hand to shake his.

"So, what brings you to this party?" Ekali asked as her eyes strayed from him to observe the room. It was filled by both humans and elves in finery, though the elves only consisted of Altmer members of the Thalmor. She found it unsettling to discover that she didn't recognise a quarter of the people assembled.

"Officially, I'm here to establish new contacts and earn the company more money. In truth, I'm only here to drink and be drunk and disorderly," he uttered before he took another drink. It ended rather abruptly and he sighed as he observed the empty goblet. Smirking, Ekali held the other one out to him.

"Ah, the one generous soul amongst a gathering of pinch-pennies and lick-spittles! If there's ever anything I can ever do for you, do not hesitate to call upon me!" he exclaimed as he accepted the goblet from her and placed the empty one down onto a side table.

"Actually, there is something you could do for me," Ekali said quietly as she met his eyes, and he answered her look with a bright smile.

"Wonderful! I can begin to repay your generosity immediately. What do you need, friend?" he asked, and the khajiit smiled thankfully.

"I need you to cause a scene. Get everyone's attention for a few minutes." He narrowed his eyes slightly at her in curiosity, but didn't comment on it.

"Is that all? My friend, you've come to the right person. You could say that causing a scene is somewhat of a speciality of mine. Stand back and behold my handiwork," he said as he stood up and made his way into the middle of the room. "Attention, everyone! Could I have your attention, please! I have an announcement to make!" As he spoke Ekali got out of her seat and slowly walked towards the bar as the attention of the room slowly shifted to Razelan's rambling.

"Let's go, let's go! Before anyone notices us," Malborn said when she finally reached his position behind the bar. He looked around once before unlocking the door and getting her to step in before him. Ekali's eyes wandered around the small storage room as the Wood Elf closed the door behind them. "So far so good. Let's hope nobody saw us slip out. We need to pass through the kitchen. Your gear is hidden in the larder. Just stay close and let me do any talking, got it? Follow me." Ekali only nodded in response as he unlocked the other door and opened it up.

"Who comes, Malborn? You know I don't like strange smells in my kitchen." The voice of another Khajiit met her ears when Ekali stepped into the kitchen, the smell of cooking food filling the air.

"A guest, feeling ill. Leave the poor wretch be." The Khajiit turned around to watch them as Ekali followed Malborn, attempting to appear as if though she was walking unsteadily.

"A guest? In the kitchens? You know this is against the rules..." Tsavani muttered.

"Rules, is it, Tsavani? I didn't realize that eating Moon Sugar was permitted. Perhaps I should ask the Ambassador..." The cook bristled and bared her teeth.

"Tss! Get out of here, I saw nothing," she hissed as Malborn smirked and opened the door, once again letting Ekali go through first. Then he closed the door behind them and pointed to a chest in the corner.

"Your gear is in that chest. I'll lock the door behind you. Don't screw this up. Come on. If someone misses me at the party, we're both dead," he said as she crouched down by the chest and opened it. A weight lifted from her heart as she saw her equipment in the chest and she quickly got started with changing into the leather armour and out of the finery.


	37. 7.2 Into the Embassy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Previously on Ekali of the Frozen Heights:** Ekali met up with Malborn in Solitude to give him the supplies she'd require, then went through the plan with Delphine before heading to the Embassy by carriage. Once there, Malborn only just saved her from an awkward conversation with the First Ambassador, and then she had to create a distraction to be able to enter into the back area of the embassy unseen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been in the works for way too long, and funnily enough it was the loss of all the work I'd already finished on it that prompted the ideas that meant that I actually managed to finish it. 
> 
> And the changes to canon continue! You can't actually disguise yourself in-game. Also, the texts that are written in italics in this chapter are actual in-game notes/books, so I can't take credit for writing that.
> 
> In my version of the Elder Scrolls universe elven armour, and any other armour that was made by mages or used by the Thalmor, is enchanted to fit on whoever puts it on. I'm going to include the Blades armour into that category later on, though Ekali won't wear it. And of course that means that that's not true for all armour.

**21st – 22nd Heartfire**

Ekali didn't waste any time once Malborn had let her through into the rear of the embassy. It didn't take long before she could hear two voices in the room just to her left, two soldiers who were discussing recent troop movements and the appearance of the dragons. She waited until they finished talking, and then when they'd continued on their respective rounds she went after the female altmer who'd walked right into the corridor in front of the khajiit without spotting her.

She slit the taller womans' throat before she had time to think further about it and quickly took a hold around the elfs' waist to lower her gently onto the floor as her blood spilled out onto the cold stone. Moving quickly, as she knew it was only a matter of time before her absence at the party was discovered, she checked one of the closed doors in the corridor and carefully opened it to see a dark, cramped space with shelves that were stocked full of cleaning equipment. Then she carefully hoisted the tall elf onto her shoulder and carried her into the small room before depositing the corpse on the floor.

A grimace passed across Ekali's lips as she began to strip the quickly cooling corpse, but she kept quiet as she used some of the supplies to clean off the worst of the blood and then switched her leathers for the elven armour. She was thankful for the fact that it was Thalmor armour when she'd fastened it properly and the armour changed to fit on her body. Lastly, the khajiit pulled on the other woman's helmet, discarded her own weapons on the floor and sheathed the elven short-sword that the elf had been carrying at her own waist.

When Ekali entered into the larger room that the soldiers had been talking in the soldier standing by the door, a male bosmer wearing elven armour and carrying an elven bow and quiver on his back, he merely nodded at her before letting his eyes continue to scan the room. His eyes passed over her again a moment later and his brows furrowed, but before he had time to draw a weapon or call out she'd already reached him and plunged her newly acquired short-word through his throat. Once again she was careful to not let the body make too much noise as it fell, instead stooping down so that he could fall forward onto her shoulder. She carried him out of the room and into the same storage in which she'd dumped the woman's body, then quickly headed for the door he'd been guarding. Considering the slight draft she could feel coming from it Ekali guessed that it was most likely the closest door that opened up into the courtyard, and as she pushed it open she found that her theory was correct.

Ekali took care not to walk too quickly as she walked outside. Neither did she look around, only briefly noting the wizards and soldiers she could see in her periphery as she took the shortest path to the building on the other side of the courtyard. The only light in the courtyard was provided by the snow reflecting the light of the moon, and from the glimpse of blue she saw in one of the soldier's eyes as she passed him she guessed that they were probably using night-eye spells to see in the dark.

The walk was quick, and before long the female khajiit pulled open the door and stepped into the warm interior of the solar.

The entrance hall was rather large, with several benches and tables placed around the room. A soldier stood only a short distance from the door, but he only looked her over briefly as she entered, and opposite from the main door stairs went both to the second floor and to the cellar. There were two rooms on the left side of the entrance hall and a counter on the right, and in the one room on the left of the door two people were arguing. Through the doorway she could see that it was a nord in commoners clothing speaking to one of the Thalmor's wizards. The room next to the one in which they were standing in also looked like it was someone's office, and it didn't seem as though their argument would be finished any time soon.

She headed towards the stairs so that she walked right past the soldier, then turned off to the left and headed into the room with the desk. Walking in behind it placed her outside the view of all the Thalmor agents, and she slowly opened the desk drawers in search of some papers that might provide her with a clue. However she only found papers on troop movements and economic calculations, so she silently closed the drawers again and crouched down next to the chest that had been placed next to the back wall.

It was locked, but the lock didn't seem very complicated so she drew out some of the lock-picks she'd stashed under her armour and worked the chest open. Inside she found a key, a small note labelled; Dragon Investigation: Current Status and two dossiers on Delphine and Ulfric Stormcloak. She read through the note quickly, which revealed that the Thalmor didn't seem to have any idea of why the dragons were returning and that they held a prisoner in the dungeons that should be able to enlighten them on the subject.

_First Emissary Elenwen,_

_We anticipate a breakthrough in our efforts to uncover the party or power behind the dragon resurrection phenomenon. An informant has identified a possible lead, whom we have brought back to the Embassy for a full interrogation. The subject is obstinate, but by all indications is holding back the information we seek. I have authorized Intermediate Manual Uncoiling – I do not expect more will be necessary, unless you feel time presses._

_I know you prefer to be present for the final questioning; I will inform you immediately when the subject is fully receptive. Two days should tell the tale._

_In the meantime, if you wish to audit our technique, your expertise is welcome, as always. I have placed the prisoner in the cell closest to your office stairs, for your convenience._

_-Rulindil, 3rd Em._

Ekali had just finished reading and tucked the note away under her armour when she heard footsteps walking by outside in the entrance hall. Then a moment later she heard the outer door open and close as the second person headed towards the stairs.

There were some stairs in the room she was in as well, and Ekali didn't waste any time before going down them and attempting to open the door at the bottom. Though the door was locked that problem was quickly solved by the key she'd found in the chest, and Ekali went through slowly to make sure that she wasn't spotted or heard.

She entered onto the upper level of the cellar to the sound of pained groans and a smooth male voice trying to get someone to talk. It sounded familiar, and Ekali guessed that it was the wizard who she'd glimpsed in the entrance hall previously. Looking over the railing onto the lower level affirmed that belief, and it also alerted her to the soldier that was standing below the stairs.

When Ekali turned to walk down the stairs she didn't make any effort to muffle her steps, instead relying on the armour to get her close enough to the soldier to kill him quickly. He looked up as soon as she entered his line of sign, nodding to her briefly in greeting. Ekali answered with a nod of her own before her eyes drifted to the wizard who was standing in front of a prisoner in one of the cells. He didn't make any motion to get up and check what she wanted, so Ekali focused on the soldier instead.

She was hardly two feet away from the soldier when he noticed the fact that she was holding her short-sword half hidden behind her back, and though he opened his mouth to call out a warning the khajiit stuck her sword through his abdomen before he had time to utter a sound. However the groan of pain and following clatter as the soldier fell to the floor unimpeded was more than enough to alert the wizard, and he spun around with narrowed eyes as he raised his hands to cast a spell. Ekali threw herself to the side and the bolt of lightning missed her by inches. Because of the close quarters it didn't take long for her to get close to him, and he was forced to raise his dagger to parry her strike, unable to focus enough to fire off another spell.

He was skilled with the dagger, but he had neither shield nor armour, and soon enough Ekali got in a blow on his side and twisted it. As his hands went to the wound and the dagger fell to the floor with a clatter she didn't waste any time, taking hold around the back of his head to slit his throat easier before allowing him to crumple to the floor.

“What's going on..?” the pained question brought her attention to the prisoner who'd been shackled to the wall and she quickly wiped off the blade of the short-sword before returning it to the sheath at her waist.

“What did you tell the Thalmor?” She used a lock-pick to unlock his shackles as she spoke, and he turned his head up to look at her in confusion.

“That I've seen a guy in the Ratways of Riften that fits the description of the man they're looking for. Esbern, I believe they said his name was.” She nodded, and when he was finally free from the wall he rubbed his wrists tenderly before looking back at her again.

“Do you know how to get out of here?” she asked, though her attention was divided when she heard a door open and close up above.

“Yeah, there's a trap door further in that they've been using to dump bodies in,” he answered, and Ekali nodded before leaving the cell.

“Listen up, spy. You're trapped here and we have your accomplice. Surrender immediately or you'll both die,” a female voice said from the upper level, and Ekali's face tightened as she saw that another soldier was holding onto Malborns' arms just behind her.

“Nevermind, I'm dead already,” the bosmer spat out.

“Silence, traitor. Move slowly,” the female soldier told him as Ekali headed towards the stairs to get up to them, drawing her blade quickly. As she moved, Malborn broke free of the soldier holding him and drew a knife from within his clothing before attacking the man. The male soldier brought his sword up to fight him as the female headed towards the stairs, and Ekali took the last few steps at a run to get on more even ground.

The following fight was quick in the close quarters, and Ekali finished it by plunging her sword into the other woman's stomach. Then she turned her attention to the male soldier and Malborn who were still fighting each other, and got up behind the altmer before sticking her sword into his back. That provided Malborn the opportunity to cut his throat, and the bosmer didn't hesitate before doing so.

“Now the Thalmor will be hunting me for the rest of my life. I hope it was worth it,” Malborn uttered once they'd both caught their breaths and Ekali had searched the soldiers to find the key that would help them get out of there.

“So do I. Let's go,” she said before heading down the stairs with Malborn following after her. When they'd almost reached the cells Ekali spotted a table and a chest next to them and deviated from her course to look through the chest. It contained some writing utensils and a small notebook labelled Thalmor Dossier: Esbern which, though she only skimmed through before tucking it into one of the hidden pockets inside her armour, seemed to contain quite a bit of interesting information.

_**Thalmor Dossier: Esbern** _

_Status: Fugitive (Capture Only), Highest Priority, Emissary Level Approval_

_Description: Male, Nord, late 70s_

_Background: Esbern was one of the Blades loremasters prior to the First War Against the Empire. He was not a field agent, but is now believed to have been behind some of the most damaging operations carried out by the Blades during the pre-war years, including the Falinesti Incident and the breach of the Blue River Prison. His file had remained dormant for many years, an inexcusable error on the part of my predecessor (who has been recalled to Alinor for punishment and reeducation), in the erroneous belief that he was unlikely to pose a threat due to his advanced age and lack of field experience. A salutary reminder to all operational levels that no Blades agent should be considered low priority for any reason. All are to be found and justice exacted upon them._

_Operational Notes: As we are still in the dark as to the cause and meaning of the return of the dragons, I have made capturing Esbern our top priority, as he is known to be one of the experts in the dragonlore of the Blades. Regrettably, we have yet to match their expertise on the subject of dragons, which was derived from their Akaviri origins and is still far superior to our own (which remains largely theoretical). The archives of Cloud Ruler Temple, which is believed to have been the primary repository of the oldest Blades lore, were largely destroyed during the siege, and although great effort has been made to reconstruct what was lost, it now appears that most of the records related to dragons were either removed or destroyed prior to our attack. Thus Esbern remains our best opportunity to learn how and why the dragons have returned. It cannot be ruled out that the Blades themselves are somehow connected to the dragons' return._

_We have recently obtained solid information that Esbern is still alive and hiding somewhere in Riften. Interrogation of a possible eyewitness is on-going. We must proceed carefully to avoid Esbern becoming alerted to his danger. If he is indeed in Riften, he must not be given an opportunity to flee._

“I saw guards dragging bodies over here. Might be a way out,” the former prisoner stated when she finally came up next to him and Malborn.

“Let's hope you're right,” she uttered quietly before using the key she'd found to unlock it. Then she let Malborn and the prisoner go down before her so she could watch their back and lock the trapdoor behind her.

* * *

There was still a couple of hours left until dawn when Ekali approached the camp-fire that Lydia had lit underneath the great statue. The horses stirred in the dark when the unknown presence approached them, waking Lydia from her light slumber. The housecarl started to get onto her feet, and then she noticed Ekali who was still wearing the elven armour but had taken off the helmet, and stayed in her spot. Gladio looked back briefly from his spot outside the reach of the fire, and then laid down to rest again once he'd noted that she wasn't harmed.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Lydia asked as the khajiit came up next to the fire, and she nodded.

“Yes. It wasn't what I expected, but I know what to do next,” she said as she seated herself on the second bedroll and met Lydia's gaze with her own.

“Then sleep for a few hours. The sun will rise soon, and we need to get going to escape the patrols that the Thalmor will most likely be sending after us, but we won't get very far if you don't rest first.” Ekali opened her mouth to protest, but the nord swiftly interrupted her. “Sleep, I'll stand guard.” Finally the khajiit gave in and took off her plundered armour, settling down to sleep with only her underclothes and the bedroll to keep her warm.


	38. 7.3 Politics in Skyrim 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Ekali of the Frozen Heights: Ekali infiltrated the Thalmor Embassy with the aid of the bosmer Malborn so as to find out how much they know about the return of the dragons before heading to meet Lydia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been a very long time coming, and has basically been half finished since I posted the last one. However it really didn't want to cooperate with me. All because I wanted Ekali to know who's who of all the nobles in Skyrim.
> 
> So, Ekali gets a horse! She wasn't actually supposed to have a specific mount before, but then this happened and I kind of really liked the animal that I invented, so he's staying. This chapter also ended up being way longer than it was supposed too, but there was no good place to cut it in half.

**22nd – 27th Heartfire**

“Did you pick the biggest horse you could find?” were the first words to leave Ekali's lips as she finally got a good look at the two horses in the daylight. The horse on the left, with a brown colouring and black mane, was Lydia's. She'd called him Piper when she introduced the horses, and he was only slightly shorter than Ekali. The gelding hardly paid any attention to the khajiit, being far too busy looking for snacks in the housecarls' pockets, but from the few horse breeds she was familiar with Ekali had no trouble identifying him as a Skyrim Coldblood.

The horse next to him was slightly harder to identify. The dappled grey stallion watched his new owner with alert eyes, and since his withers only stood slightly shorter than the top of Lydia's head he practically towered over Ekali. Though he looked fairly similar to a Coldblood, he was both taller and had a somewhat slimmer body.

“Do you know how hard it is to find a horse that's accustomed to khajiit in Skyrim? There aren't a lot of you up here, and the ones who actually use horses regularly – the caravans – don't ride them. Besides you didn't actually give me much time to work with,” Lydia answered her, the annoyance clear in her voice as she tightened the straps on the saddlebags lying over Piper's back.

“You're right, I'm sorry,” Ekali answered with a grimace, and Lydia threw her a surprised look at the quick acquiescence. Sensing her Thane's discomfort, she let the matter be when she continued to speak.

“He's a Fjord Drafthorse. Used to freight ice, stone, wood, whatever materials are needed. Few horses share their strength except the Anvil White, and they're not fit for Skyrim's terrain. They're a cross between the altmers' Fleetfoot and the Skyrim Coldblood, bred to carry orcs and nords into battle. An elf up in Hjaalmarch came up with the brilliant idea, only it didn't catch on. Still, they're worth a fair bit. I believe the legion makes use of a few. His former owner called him Fleet.” Having finished with the saddle-bags, Lydia moved on to strapping her bedroll to the back of the saddle.

Ekali offered no further comment as she stepped up to the large stallion and offered him the carrot she held in her hand. He sniffed her suspiciously before cautiously taking the offering from her and Ekali raised her hand to pat his neck. When he'd finished his treat, Fleet turned his head to blow some air at her face, and a small smile slipped over her face as she lowered her hand and returned to helping Lydia pack away their equipment.

* * *

The two women left Gladio and the horses well out of sight before approaching Dragon's Bridge by foot through the few trees that littered the slope down towards the village. Ekali had shed the shiny elven armour, except for the boots, in favour of some simple wool and cotton clothing that Lydia had been thoughtful enough to bring with her. The nord still wore her steel armour, but it was far less eye-catching than the golden elven armour, something that was only proven further when they'd finally found a vantage point from which they could look down at the village and military outpost guarding the bridge.

About half a dozen Thalmor and a dozen Imperial soldiers were moving about in the village, checking every traveller that wished to cross the bridge.

“We'll have to head back along the road and cross the river with the horses so as to avoid their notice if we don't want to fight our way through to Whiterun,” Lydia uttered quietly as her eyes left the village for a moment to look at Ekali. The khajiit's eyes were following the soldiers intently as she sat crouched next to the nord and it took a little while before she answered.

“We're not going to Whiterun. But yes, we'll still have to find another crossing,” Ekali stated as she gestured to Lydia to precede her back to the horses. Lydia raised her eyebrows in question, but did not utter another word out loud until they'd passed out of sight of the Thalmor.

“Where are we going, if not to Whiterun? High Hrothgar?” Ekali didn't look at her companion when the other woman spoke up, choosing instead to keep her attention on their surroundings.

“No, we're going to Riverwood. It's time you find out why I needed to get into the embassy.”

“And the answer to that question is in Riverwood?” Lydia asked with a fair amount of confusion in her eyes and voice.

“No, but it's where we will find out if I found what I was looking for.” The nord cast her a somewhat sceptical look but did not question her Thane further as they retrieved the horses and headed back to the road. The small group reached the river without any incidents, crossing it – and the border to Hjaalmarch – at a spot where the water reached no further up that Lydia's feet when she rode Piper.

Continuing to make their way east and south through the day, the two travellers made sure to keep away from the main roads and taverns as they kept on the lookout for Thalmor and Imperial soldiers. They continued in the same manner throughout the rest of the day and well into the evening. When it became too dark to see well enough between the trees to steer the horses from horseback they dismounted and continued on foot.

It was just before noon of the 24:th, as the khajiit and the nord drew close to the road leading into Whiterun Hold from Hjaalmarch, when Ekali's keen eyes saw the golden flash of elven armour further along the road. She hurriedly gestured for Lydia to stop and hide, and together they dismounted and retreated to hide behind a rocky outcropping they'd passed only a little while ago.

“I thought we passed into Whiterun Hold several hours ago?” Ekali whispered to Lydia as the soldiers drew closer to their position and the noise of their march increased. The taller woman didn't look back at her Thane, electing instead to keep an eye on the elves, as she leaned as far out from behind the outcropping that she dared to risk.

“Do you really think that would stop the Thalmor?” Lydia murmured only loud enough for the khajiit to hear her as she fingered the blade at her side.

“No, of course. I just didn't think they'd be so open about it,” Ekali answered as the soldiers passed them by, heading into Whiterun hold. The two kept silent for a good while yet, staying put until long after the elves had passed out of both seeing and hearing range, before once again leading the horses out into the open and mounting them. The khajiit watched Lydia silently as she checked to make sure her saddle bags were still firmly attached. “You seem strangely al right about running from the Thalmor without any explanation as to why.”

“You are my Thane. I'm sworn to carry your burdens, not question your actions, and I'll do so until you or the Jarl chooses to relieve me of my duty,” Lydia said as they spurred the horses on and finally crossed the border into Whiterun Hold.

“I would still prefer it if you actually wished to be my housecarl, if this wasn't something you did because the Jarl ordered you too.” Lydia let out an audible sigh as she turned partly in her saddle to look back at the other woman.

“When you killed that dragon you saved Whiterun Hold and all the people in it. You were made Thane because you earned it, not because of who your parents were or who your friends are. That makes you more deserving of the title than most of the nobles of Skyrim in my book. Just because your stubbornness annoys me it doesn't mean that I'm not proud to serve you.” By the time Lydia finished she'd turned back to face the road and Ekali was watching her in silent shock. The khajiit only had a few moments to realize that she should say something before the housecarl continued. “My father was a legionnaire. He died in a riot in Markarth, ma got 500 thalms from the legion, and that's the last we heard from them. I swore my loyalty to Jarl Balgruuf because he's a good man, because he keeps his word when he gives it. He hasn't led me wrong yet. And while the Jarl might very well be undecided as to who he supports in the war, I know what I think and I know that he does in some ways share my views.”

“And what are those views?” Ekali asked after a few moments of silence had passed between them.

“That I care for neither side and if the Jarl ever makes a choice I will support his decision. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I'll like it. I can't help but thank the Divines that I weren't born a noble.” Lydia shook her head as a wry smile crossed her lips.

“I can't say I know enough of the nobility in Skyrim to pick a side,” Ekali stated as a smile crossed her lips in response to Lydia's comment. When the nord turned to face her Thane again her eyebrows were raised in amused surprise.

“A Thane of Skyrim knows nothing of the nobility? My, what an embarrassment,” Lydia quipped, turning forward again to watch where they were going. Ekali's mouth dropped slightly open in surprise.

“And here I thought no one in Skyrim had ever heard of humour,” Ekali stated as she spurred Fleet on and he trotted up next to Piper, falling into an even gait beside the other horse. “I'm sorry, but Politics 101 is not a lesson they cover in the library of High Hrothgar.”

“It seems there's a lot you don't know about Skyrim, but I'll be happy to fill in the blanks for you if you wish me to,” Lydia offered with a sideways look and a small smile for Ekali.

“That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,” Ekali answered in surprise, and the housecarl nodded shortly in confirmation before turning her attention back to the path ahead of them.

“The main governing body, as I'm certain you have gleaned by now, is the Jarls. Each is in charge of a major town and the Hold it is situated in, and their rule is largely autonomous. Though there is a higher post, that of the High King, it is unfilled at the moment. And while Jarl's are born to their title the High King is chosen from amongst the Jarl's, and by them. The High King has the power to overrule the other Jarl's, leads Skyrim in war and is responsible for political relationships with the other provinces. It was the death of the last High King that triggered the civil war. And though the details surrounding the event aren't known, everyone knows that Jarl Ulfric killed High King Torygg using the voice, thus leaving Jarl Elisif a widow and raising the question of who should be the next High King.”

“So the Imperials supported the mourning widow and Jarl Ulfric wants the crown for himself.”

“Yes. I suspect that the Thalmor thinks Elisif to be a vassal they won't have much trouble controlling.”

“You disagree, I take it.”

Lydia shrugged non-committally, keeping her eyes on the lands that stretched out before them. “I believe that Elisif has yet to prove herself, one way or the other. She may support the Imperials at the moment, but one has to take into account that many of her court support them. Falk Firebeard, her steward, has two sons currently serving in the Imperial army. Erikur, one of her thanes, cares only for money, and that is something that the Thalmor does not lack.”

“That accounts for Jarl Elisif's court, but what of the rest?”

“East of Haafingar hold lies Hjaalmarch, ruled by Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone from its capital Morthal. It's a small hold which is mostly covered by swamps and wetlands and holds little strategical value despite its access to the Sea of Ghosts. Jarl Idgrod is aligned with the Imperials, she's an older and very wise woman, and doesn't let racial discrimination sway her thinking. The position of steward is held by her husband, Aslfur. The next hold along the northern coast is the Pale, where the capital is Dawnstar. The Jarl of the Pale is Skald the Elder, a stormcloak sympathiser. It's mostly tundraand pine forests, but because it's far easier to navigate it's more populated than Hjaalmarch.

“Furthest to the northeast lies Winterhold, and the city with the same name. Jarl Korir rules there, and though it's most known for the College of Winterhold just outside the city, Skyrim's guild of mages, there's an inherent distrust between the Nords of the city and the guild after half the city fell into the water many years ago. He's mostly disregarded by the other jarl's since Winterhold has lost its importance on the grander scale. The east-most hold is Eastmarch, Jarl Ulfric's domain. I don't expect I'll have to tell you much about the city or the hold, but the Jarl's steward is Jorleif and his housecarl Galmar Stone-Fist also holds the position of general over the Stormcloak army.

“The south-east hold is the Rift. Its capital is Riften and it's run by Laila Law-Giver, though it's an ill kept secret that Maven Black-Briar and the criminal underground has run of the city. The only one who doesn't seem to realise this is the jarl herself. She has two sons, Harrald and Saerlund, and Anuriel is the Steward of the Rift. Her housecarl is Unmid Snow-Shod and she supports the Stormcloak cause. In the court only her youngest son, Saerlund, supports the Imperials. Falkreath, the southern hold, is governed by Jarl Siddgeir from the town with the same name. He's an Imperial supporter and took the title from his uncle Dengeir some years ago. There's been some speculation that this was a coup staged by the Imperials, but there's little proof of that theory. He's a lazy man who leaves the actual work of running the hold to his stewardess Nenya.

“The south-west hold, the Reach, is a very mountainous region, and the mines there have a great value for Skyrim's economy. Jarl Igmund runs the hold from Markarth, though in general the Silver-Blood family can do as they wish as they own the biggest and most valuable mines in the hold. The jarl's housecarl is the redguard Faleen, and the position of steward is held by the jarl's uncle, Raerek. The court wizard Calcelmo is well known for his interest in dwemer artefacts and he's leading an excavation into the caves beneath the city. There is, of course, a lot more that could be said about all of them, but that is the simple version and I don't expect that someone unused to politics would be able to learn all of it in one go,” Lydia finally finished as her eyes briefly met those of the khajiit and Ekali nodded thoughtfully.

“I expect you're right. I'll ask you if I find I need to know anything else,” Ekali answered as she watched the housecarl, and Lydia nodded in acceptance of the statement.

* * *

It was late into the night by the time the two riders and the wolf arrived back at Riverwood. Ekali was reluctant to waste any time, and as such she did not protest Lydia's offer to take care of the horses before telling Gladio to stick with the housecarl and making her way into the tavern.

Because of the late hour the main hall was practically empty of people. A couple of drunks where still lingering at one of the tables, though they seemed far closer to unconsciousness than they wanted to admit as they raised their their mugs into the air for a toast and managed to spill most of the contents. Her eyes only passed over them quickly before finding Delphine's fit figure near the back of the room. The breton had raised her head as the door opened, and she motioned for the khajiit to follow her as she got off of the barstool and opened the door to her own room.

As Ekali followed the other woman neither of them uttered a word until they'd entered the hidden chamber and Delphine had closed the closet doors behind them. “You made it out alive, at least. Your gear's safe in my room, as promised. Did you learn anything useful?” the Nord uttered then, gesturing towards the chest holding Ekali's gear as she did so, and the khajiit gave a short nod of thanks as she knelt down by the chest. When she was satisfied that all of her supplies where present, she once again rose to her feet and faced the other woman.

“The Thalmor know nothing about the dragons,” she finally said, and Delphine's brows furrowed as she leaned her hip against the corner of the table in the middle.

“Really? That seems hard to believe. You're sure about that?” she asked as the two of them faced each other, and Ekali nodded decisively before reaching into the pack she'd brought from off her horse to take something out.

“Yes, I'm sure. They're looking for someone named Esbern,” she said as she finally got the documents out of the pack, placing the small collection of thin books on the table between them with the one labelled “Esbern” on top of the pile. Delphine's eyes shone with genuine surprise as she reached out for the thin leather-bound book, eyes widening at the information that she found within.

“Esbern? He's alive? I thought the Thalmor must have got him years ago. That crazy old man...” she trailed off, a smile of fond amusement on her face as her fingers stroked across the worn letters. “Figures the Thalmor would be on his trail, though, if they were trying to find out what's going on with the dragons.” She turned her eyes back to Ekali at that and placed the book back down.

“What would the Thalmor want with Esbern?” The khajiit asked with no small amount of curiosity as her eyes lingered on the volumes for a few moment longer before turning to meet Delphine's eyes.

“You mean aside from wanting to kill every Blade they can lay their hands on? Esbern was one of the Blades archivists, back before the Thalmor smashed us during the Great War. He knew everything about the ancient dragonlore of the Blades. Obsessed with it, really. Nobody paid much attention back then. I guess he wasn't as crazy as we all thought.” The Nord looked thoughtful as the talked, a contemplative hum just barely breaching through her lips when Ekali spoke up again.

“They seem to think he's hiding out in Riften.”

“Riften, eh? Probably down in the Ratway, then. It's where I'd go. You'd better get to Riften. Ask around the Ragged Flagon, in the Ratway. It's at least a good starting point,” Delphine said, nodding slowly to herself before remembering another important piece of information. “Oh, and when you find Esbern... If you think I'm paranoid... you may have some trouble getting him to trust you. Just ask him where he was on the 30th of Frostfall. He'll know what it means.”


	39. 8.1 Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Ekali of the Frozen Heights: Ekali infiltrated the Thalmor Embassy to find information about the return of the dragons, saved two lives and then fled into the night to meet up with her housecarl. Then they had to avoid the main roads when returning to Riverwood so as to avoid the notice of the Thalmor, and Lydia told Ekali about the political situation in Skyrim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point forward, all the dragon language except for the lines taken directly from the game will be written with the use of the Dovahzul Print Dictionary 3rd Edition: https://www.thuum.org/assets/Dovahzul%20Print%20Dictionary%203rd%20Edition.pdf
> 
> I’m no longer placing the scenes that play out in dezhahnu in separate chapters, and dovahzul translations are now written in italics to further put them apart from the rest of the text.
> 
> Also, Book one is almost completely planned out at this point. It's going to be 16 chapters + epilogue when it's finished, and I know roughly what happens in every chapter. I'm aiming for four parts in chapter 8.

**28** **th** **–** **29** **th** **Hearthfire**

The sun had only just broken free of the confines of the horizon when Ekali made her way out of the inn. As she stepped out onto the road the khajiit turned right straight away, following the tail of the wolf as he turned the corner of the wooden building at a leisurely pace. Around her the large village was slowly waking up to greet the day, as the song of birds and the rushing of the river intermingled with the sounds of barking dogs, playing children and a blacksmith hard at work at his forge.

The noise grew somewhat more muted as she rounded the corner between the inn and the building next door, and the small stable and the low stone wall that surrounded the village met her gaze. The stable belonging to the inn consisted of little more than a grass-filled enclosure, a couple of sheltered boxes to tie up horses in and a water and feeding through. Fleet was grazing peacefully, only keeping an eye on Gladio as the wolf examined the enclosure carefully. Lydia was cleaning her mare's dappled coat with calm, firm strokes using a grooming brush, and though she looked up when Ekali came around the corner the Nord didn't stop her care of the mount.

Ekali made no attempts at dancing around the subject when she finally reached her housecarl's side, and the other woman cast her a look to show that she was listening to whatever her Thane had to say. The housecarl had pulled her hair back from her face, tied it up into a ponytail with an old leather cord and instead of her armour she was clad in some linen and wool clothing.

“I'm headed to Riften as soon as I'm packed and ready, but I thought we should have that conversation first,” the khajiit stated as she leaned up against the stable wall behind Lydia, far enough away that the mare wouldn't be bothered by her presence.

“About why you broke into the embassy?” Lydia enquired as the khajiit fell silent for a few brief moments.

“Yes. It's to do with the dragons that have been appearing and attacking people. I've been working with one of the few remaining Blades to find out what is going on.”

“I thought all the remaining Blades died in the Great War?” Lydia asked with raised eyebrows as she finished brushing down Piper's coat and turned to face Ekali. The khajiit raised her eyes to meet the nord's gaze before answering.

“You're not the only one to have made that assumption,” she said with a quirk of her lips before quickly continuing onto the subject she'd come to speak about. “We thought originally that it was dragons who'd come out of hiding and migrated from the north who were attacking people. But though that may be true for some of the beasts, most of them are being returned to life. We've been to the old burial mounds, and one by one they're being emptied.” Lydia looked up sharply at that, mouth dropping open in shock a few moments before she once again spoke up.

“You're certain of that. But how..?” the nord questioned, and Ekalis' answering grimace did nothing to ease her mind.

“That's what I was trying to find out at the embassy. We thought the Thalmor might have something to do with it, but it appears that they know no more than we do. They did however have information about another Blade who might be able to provide those answers, so I'm heading off to find him. Hopefully before the Thalmor can do the same.” Ekali watched her housecarl carefully when she finally finished, somewhat reluctant to face the possible argument that would very likely arise from her blatant exclusion of the other woman in her plans. 

“And what are my orders?” Lydia asked instead, and Ekali blinked briefly in surprise before schooling her features.

“I want you to stay here with the horses and keep an eye on things in the village. Delphine, the Blade who resides here, has a good cover but I'd still be more comfortable if she had backup closely available while I'm stirring up the hornets nest,” she answered, with a nod to the inn to indicate Delphine's place of residency.

“Very well, my Thane. I'll stay here and await your return.” Lydia nodded decisively, and Ekali found herself watching in surprise as the other woman turned away from her to continue caring for the horses.

“Well, I'll see you once I return, then. If all goes well, it shouldn't take more than a fortnight at most.”

* * *

Ekali realized, as she awakened to the cold winds of Dezhahnu, that she was unlikely to ever grow used to the unsettling place or the knowledge that the vast landscape that was home to so many beings was a part of her mind. Her thoughts flew for a few moments to Pelagius the Mad and what Mirmulnir had said about the source of his madness. She tried to shake the thought, but a shiver still coursed through her body as she turned her attention to the skies.

The mist was not as thick as she'd grown accustomed too, which meant in turn that she could see the silhouettes of the dragons, now four in number, who'd taken up residence in her mind. 

The khajiit spun around quickly when the sound of beating wings reached her ears, approaching her from behind and circling slightly to her right. 

Feynahkrii's dark brown scales shimmered slightly in the strange light as he came in for a graceful landing a short distance from the khajiit. The earth shook lightly upon his impact with the frost-clad ground, but not nearly as much as one might expect from a creature of his size.

Ekali backed away to a more comfortable distance as she watched him and his head came around to watch her in turn. There was a slight tilt upwards at the corner of his mouth, and that in tandem with the look in his eyes and the way he held his body was enough to make her realize that he was silently laughing at her.

“You're assembling quite a collection of souls, briinah.[ _sister_ ]” When his voice reached her ears there was quite correctly the rumble of laughter accompanying them, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the large creature.

“Drem yol lok, zeymah. [ _Greetings, brother._ ] What do you want now?” she questioned as they watched each other, and more laughter rumbled up through his throat.

“Drem yol lok, kiir. [ _Greeting, child._ ] How goes your search for the truth?”

“Nii shur. [ _It goes._ ] It would be faster, I imagine, if you were to answer my questions.”

“Ah, but what would be the fun in that? No, briinah, you'll have to find your answers yourself.” He bared his teeth in something that might be thought to resemble a smile, and Ekali responded by narrowing her eyes further as her ears tilted back to practically lay against her head. He nodded once at that, then took a few steps back and leapt into the air as he spread his wings above them. He only just got into the air from his standing position, and Ekali was forced to duck so as to avoid being hit in the head by his claws before he managed to gain altitude.

As she straightened up from her crouch, the khajiit turned to watch the dragon flying off, not taking her eyes of of him until only the barest hint of his silhouette was discernible through the mist.

Ekali was not certain what dragon would wish to speak to her next until the great beast came gliding in through the mist, came to a running stop as it landed, and stopped before her.

“Ful nii los. Ont einzuk aan nahl dovahkiin paagol ko Keizaal. Zu'u drei ni korah Dunahzin fod tinvaakrek do hi. Lost zu’u maht nahlaas, zu’u zent rek fund kos peh meyareistig. Rek kend kos, orin nu, fah dii briinah drey ni med zey rinik pogaas. [ _So it is true. Once again a living dragonborn walks in Skyrim. I did not believe Dunahzin when she spoke of you. Were I still alive, I expect she would be quite smug(self-certain). She must be, even now, for my sister did not like me very much_.]” Inquisitive eyes watched her closely at they faced each other, and Ekali backed up a step to put a more comfortable distance between the two of them. The large creature hardly seemed to notice, or perhaps he simply did not care like Feynahkrii would have done.

“Zu’u drey qiidaht vahr hi drey ni tinvaak fod zu drey yin hi. Vrah, zu’u Dovahkiin. Osos do un taar peyl zey Golgronfron, osos for zey briinah. [ _I did wonder(query) why you did not speak when I did confront you. Indeed, I am Dovahkiin. Some of our kin call me Golgronfron, some name me sister._ ]” She spoke rather slowly, not yet used to forming words in dovahzul.

“Zu'u mindok. Hi aal ni mindok pogaas do mii, dovahkiin, nuz faal dovahhe dein niist miin nau hi.[ _I know. You may not know much of us, dragonborn, but the dragons keep their eyes on you._ ]” There was a glint in his eyes as he spoke, and had he been humanoid there would have been a small smile on his face.

“Fen nii hesven zey tol zu’u lost faal ahmiin do aan ulan reyliik? [ _Should it flatter me that I have the attention of a whole race?_ ]”

“Aalkos. Nuz mu ney mindok tol faal dovahhe los ni faal nunon joriin wo lingraav hi. Faal fahliille ahrk jul ney dein niist miin nau faal gein wo vis krii dovahhe. Ol fah zey, zu’u los Wuthkarongein. Peh osos tiid lost saark naal ruzun aan dovahkiin bahlaan do tol for laat drey paagol voth faal nahl, ahrk nii fent ofan zey lot kirnd wah mindok waan hi los vrah bahlaan. [ _Maybe. But we both know that the dragons are not the only people who watch you. The elves and humans both keep their eyes on the one who can slay dragons. As for me, I am Wuthkarongein. Quite some time have gone by since a dragonborn worthy of that name last did walk with the living, and it shall give me great pleasure to know if you are indeed worthy._ ]” The large creature moved his neck in a motion that could have been an imitation of a shrug, but Ekali thought no more of the motion in favour of questioning the dragon.

“Ahrk naal fos malz fund hi miknuur zey wah kos bahlaan? [ _And by what measure would you judge me to be worthy?_ ]” she questioned hesitantly, and the dragon took a few steps back before answering.

“Naal hin sodde ahrk fos nust shaan ko vorey joriin. Waan hi vis mindoraan ahrk kron faal grinne tol naal un edil mu nis filok, aalkos hi fent ko tiid lask faal fir do faal dovahhe. Nii jah ni hiitir membrah hi vis rim tirahk rahnd, ahrk waan anahlrii fund miik wah frey hi ko naal vergrav naal fend kos giwahdil ganog. [ _By your deeds and what they inspire in others(other people). If you can understand and conquer the bonds that by our nature we cannot escape, maybe you shall in time earn the respect of the dragons. It will not matter unless you can gain safe passage, and if someone would offer to aid you in that endeavour that should be evidence enough._ ]”

“Tirahk rahnd? [ _Safe passage?_ ]” The khajiit watched the large reptile with furrowed brows, impatience causing her lips to purse as the dragon let out a low chuckle.

“Hi jah koraav, uv hi jah dir. Hjane strah, faal puvagaan drehni hiitir ahst nutiid. [ _You will see, or you will die. Either way, the specifics don't matter at present._ ]” He backed off before Ekali had the opportunity to ask anything further, and then leapt into the sky away from the dragonborn. She watched him go for a few moments, then let out a small sigh and turned her eyes in the other direction.


End file.
